Human rights, health and the state in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND: This paper broadly discusses the role of the State of Bangladesh in the context of the health system and human rights. The interrelation between human rights, health and development are well documented. The recognition of health as a fundamental right by WHO and subsequent approval of health as an instrument of welfare by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights (ICSECR) further enhances the idea. Moreover, human rights are also recognized as an expedient of human development. The state is entrusted to realize the rights enunciated in the ICSECR. DISCUSSION: In exploring the relationship of the human rights and health situation in Bangladesh, it is argued, in this paper, that the constitution and major policy documents of the Bangladesh government have recognized the health rights and development. Bangladesh has ratified most of the international treaties and covenants including ICCPR, ICESCR; and a signatory of international declarations including Alma-Ata, ICPD, Beijing declarations, and Millennium Development Goals. However the implementation of government policies and plans in the development of health institutions, human resources, accessibility and availability, resource distribution, rural-urban disparity, the male-female gap has put the health system in a dismal state. Neither the right to health nor the right to development has been established in the development of health system or in providing health care. SUMMARY: The development and service pattern of the health system have negative correlation with human rights and contributed to the underdevelopment of Bangladesh. The government should take comprehensive approach in prioritizing the health rights of the citizens and progressive realization of these rights

Human Rights Education for Bengali Women: Agency and empowerment

Over the last decade, most educational indicators have shown positive trends in Bangladesh. Despite the progress, the education system in Bangladesh is still failing its adolescent girls. Many of these girls come from impoverished backgrounds, and thus reaching secondary schools presents a myriad of challenges for them. Their educational trajectories are frequently interrupted by child marriage, corruption, abuse, and neglect. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Human Rights Education (HRE) is central to defining the content and method of the education that women/girls need to function effectively in modern Bangladesh society. The theoretical framework focuses on transformative agency, the empowerment process (social and economic), and the concept of capabilities. The study examines the links between human rights education and transformation by focusing on the long-term effects on young girls who participated in non-formal education programs in Bangladesh. The literature review explores key concepts of HRE, critical pedagogy, and the capabilities approach. The study then makes an assessment of Bangladesh’s record in implementing the right to education in light of the commitments made by the State. The article concludes by offering a set of recommendations for the government of Bangladesh to integrate human rights education as part of the formal school curriculum

Children Silent Victims in Child Marriage in Bangladesh: Significance of Legal Protection for their Wellbeing

The widespread practice of child marriage in Bangladesh is greatly harmful to the futures wellbeing of girl children. It is a strong social custom as well as evil and violates the rights of the child to be free from all forms of discrimination, inhuman and degrading treatment. Children do not have a powerful approach to protect them against the abuse of early marriage arrangements rather they are victim of different types of domestic violence. To prevent child marriage, it is needed social awareness along with supportive legislation in keeping with the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) in the society of Bangladesh. Unless measures are taken to address child marriage, it will continue to be a major stumbling block to the achievement of child rights. This paper analyses the significance of protective measures with domestic laws and human rights dimensions to protect such practice and uphold wellbeing the children in Bangladesh. Keywords Child marriage, human rights violation, legal protection, child wellbein

Application of Fundamental Rights of Bangladesh Constitution: An Analysis on the Light of International Human Rights Instruments

This paper is an attempt to explore fundamental rights which is incorporated in our constitution on the basis of international human rights law. Bangladesh is a deltaic country situated in the Bay of Bengal having over 160 million of people. In spite of ratification of many international human rights instruments, every year many peoples are deprived to exercise fundamental rights because of political unrest. The Fundamental Rights of Bangladesh Constitution themselves have no fixed content, most of them are empty vessels into which is generation must pour its content in the light of experience. The study intends to examine violation of fundamental rights in the light of present situation. Furthermore, this paper attempts to examine the general criticisms of the enforcement of fundamental rights and desirability of judicial activism in the fulfillment of such right. The main purpose of this paper is to ensure fundamental rights by imposing the international human rights instruments by the political parties as well as our domestic court

Impact of Marriage and Social Norms in Determining Women’s Property Rights within the Muslim Communities of Bangladesh

The Bangladeshi Muslim society like most Islamic societies lacks advancement of women’s rights, seen in most western societies, in the context of property rights, access to land and ability to enforce their rights. Furthermore, the absence of a codified jurisdiction on marital property puts divorced and separated women in Bangladesh at far greater risk of economic hardship and poverty than the men. Considering the importance of Muslim women’s rights to access, control and own land through both inheritance and marriage, it is important to assess Bangladeshi Muslim women’s status in family, marriage, and society as a whole. With the aim to establish that women’s marital property rights would improve their overall wellbeing, this study will adopt a desk-based research in exploring the deep-rooted issues involving the construction of gender and marriage in context of Muslim women’s rights to own, access and control land in Bangladesh. In order to analyse the best approach to introduce community property regime in the Muslim society of Bangladesh, the level of development and the status of women’s property rights in six different Muslim countries, namely Tunisia, Morocco, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Iran, have been thoroughly analysed to demonstrate the extensive benefits of community property regimes. This nonempirical research will mostly include studying through religious scriptures, archives of libraries, online resources, published academic journals and articles, policies, and reports. Furthermore, taking a Human Rights based approach this paper will examine women’s rights and property rights as basic human rights. Essentially, this research will focus on the Muslim women and their land rights in Bangladesh in the context of marital impact, religious beliefs, and influences of long-practiced traditional social norms in order to evaluate the degree of reworking of rules and norms surrounding marriage and family would be required to facilitate joint marital property regime in the Muslim society of Bangladesh

Labor and Human Rights Organizations call on Government of Bangladesh to Release Worker Rights Advocates

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.ILRF_Labor_and_Human_Rights_Organizations_Call_on_Government_of_Bangladesh_to_Release_Worker_Rights_Advocates.pdf: 135 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Extrajudicial Killings in Bangladesh: Exploring the Phenomenon of Human Rights Violations As a Means of Maintaing Power

When the South Asian nation of Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation on December 16, 1971, the founding fathers sought to establish a liberal democracy that would uphold the rule of law and the fundamental human rights of individuals. To this end, they incorporated extensive guarantees, including safeguarding the enforcement of an impressive eighteen fundamental rights, in the Constitution of Bangladesh of 1972. However, this Article will demonstrate that after almost fifty years of independence, the promise of a liberal democracy has remained elusive in Bangladesh due to the frequent violation of human rights through extrajudicial killings as a convenient means of maintaining power. Although successive governments have resorted to extrajudicial killings, the current government of the Bangladesh Awami League, which has ruled the nation uninterruptedly for the past twelve and a half years, has gone further than all previous governments in resorting to such killings to suppress any threat to its aspiration of perpetuating power. The regime’s contempt for the human rights of individuals is further evident from the fact that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not shied away from resorting to extrajudicial killings to put down its adversaries. This Article will put forward recommendations for ensuring the realization of the elusive promise of a liberal democracy on which the nation was founded

Human Rights in Bangladesh: Stresses on the Period of 2009 to 2012

This paper is about human rights in Bangladesh and stresses on the period of 2009 to 2012. Bangladesh is a Parliamentary Democratic and densely populated country in South Asia. Human rights are parts and parcel in a democratic country. In a country if human rights are violated then the country cannot be developed and the democracy of that country becomes weak. Human rights are violated in every country of the world. But extrajudicial killings like crossfire and death in custody, abduction, child labor, violence of workers’ rights, violence of women rights, women and children trafficking, public lynching, death penalty and discriminations on religion minorities and indigenous people are alarming in Bangladesh. This paper also discusses civil and political rights, social and economic rights and violation of these rights in Bangladesh

Intergrating human rights approaches into public health practices and policies to address health needs amongst Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: a systematic review and meta-ethnographic analysis

Background: The Rohingya people of Myanmar are one of the most persecuted communities in the world and are forced to flee their home to escape conflict and persecution. Bangladesh receives the majority of the Rohingya refugees. On arrival they experience a number of human rights issues and the extent to which human rights approaches are used to inform public health programs is not well documented. The aim of this systematic review was to document human rights- human rights-related health issues and to develop a conceptual human rights framework to inform current policy practice and programming in relation to the needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Methods: This systematic review was conducted using the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Eight computerized databases were searched: Academic Search complete, Embase, CINAHL, JStor, Pubmed, Scopus, SocIndex, and Proquest Central along with grey literature and Google Scholar. Of a total of 752 articles retrieved from the eight databases and 17 studies from grey literature, 31 studies met our inclusion criteria. Results: Using meta-ethnographic synthesis, we developed a model that helps understand the linkages of various human rights and human rights-related health issues of Rohingya refugees. The model highlights how insufficient structural factors, poor living conditions, restricted mobility, and lack of working rights for extended periods of time collectively contribute to poor health outcomes of Rohingya refugees

Human Rights in Bangladesh: Stresses on the Period of 2009 to 2012

This paper is about human rights in Bangladesh and stresses on the period of 2009 to 2012. Bangladesh is a Parliamentary Democratic and densely populated country in South Asia. Human rights are parts and parcel in a democratic country. In a country if human rights are violated then the country cannot be developed and the democracy of that country becomes weak. Human rights are violated in every country of the world. But extrajudicial killings like crossfire and death in custody, abduction, child labor, violence of workers’ rights, violence of women rights, women and children trafficking, public lynching, death penalty and discriminations on religion minorities and indigenous people are alarming in Bangladesh. This paper also discusses civil and political rights, social and economic rights and violation of these rights in Bangladesh