The emergence of Bangladesh
as an independent state was the result of a fight
against violation of human rights in different ways.
People's struggle for establishing fundamental rights
by brushing aside anomalies is always there in this
part of the world. But unfortunately, the polity is
yet to overcome the barriers to human rights.
Bangladesh
is a parliamentary democracy, with broad powers
exercised by the Prime Minister. Khaleda Zia, leader
of the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP), became Prime Minister
(PM) following parliamentary elections in October
2001, deemed to be free and fair by international
and domestic observers. The BNP formed a four-party
alliance government with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Bangladesh
Jatiya Party (BJP), and Islami Oikko Jote (IOJ).
Two major parties dominate the political scene, the
BNP and the Awami
League (AL). Political competition is vigorous,
and violence is a pervasive feature of politics. The
2001 elections, supervised by a nonparty caretaker
government (CG), took place in a climate of sporadic
violence and isolated irregularities. The major parties
continued to boycott Parliament when in the opposition,
claiming that they had little opportunity to engage
substantively on legislative and national issues.
The higher levels of the judiciary displayed a significant
degree of independence and often ruled against the
Government; however, lower judicial officers were
reluctant to challenge government decisions and suffered
from corruption. The Official Secrets Act of 1923
protected corrupt government officials from public
scrutiny, hindering transparency and accountability
at all levels.
Bangladesh
is a country of origin for trafficking of women
and children. Although exact figures on the scope
of the problem vary widely, the consensus is that
the problem is growing rapidly. [1] Estimates project
that a total of 25,000 Bangladeshi women and children
are trafficked out of the country annually. [2] Of
these women and children, 10,000 to 15,000 are trafficked
across the border to India, [3] and 4,500 are trafficked
from Bangladesh to Pakistan, [4] although experts
recognize that these numbers are probably low. Despite
the fact that abduction and trafficking of women and
children carries the death penalty, more than 300
instances in 2000 have been documented in which women
and girls were reported missing, abducted, or sent
abroad for purposes of prostitution. [5] In addition
to victims who are being trafficked for purposes of
prostitution and despite a ban on overseas domestic
employment by Bangladeshi women, officials state that
more than 14,000 Bangladeshi women are working as
maids and domestics outside of the country. Nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) indicate that more than 40,000
women from Bangladesh
are working in the Gulf states alone. [6] Repeatedly,
instances have been documented in which women and
young girls who are promised lucrative jobs in Gulf
states agree to them, only to find themselves in sexual
servitude. Recently, 1,000 children, mostly girls,
were reported missing from Tungipara, 25 miles from
Dhaka. They had left with labor contractors, who had
promised them lucrative jobs in the Persian Gulf.
The children were never heard from again, and after
months of investigation, the head of Women and Children
International concluded that the employment agencies
were slave traders. [7]
Nearly 85 percent of Bangladesh’s population
faces economic hardships. [19] The low socioeconomic
status of women has left many of them without land,
particularly in rural areas, where property laws and
the commercialization of agriculture have marginalized
women. The population has also experienced an increase
in the number of poor, female-headed households; an
increase in violence against women; and a decrease
in the social status of women.
LAW AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Legislation
Prostitution and trafficking for the purpose of prostitution
or other immoral acts are covered in the Penal Code,
the 1995 Oppression of Woman and Child Act, and the
1993 Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act.
Labor Law
The constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor.
The Factories Act of 1965, as well as the Shops and
Establishment Act of 1965, also prohibits forced labor
and establishes an inspection system to enforce this
prohibition.
The Factories Act bars children under the age of 14
from working in factories.
International Conventions
Bangladesh
has ratified the International Labor Organization
(ILO) Convention (105) on the Abolition of Forced
Labor; the ILO Convention (182) to Eliminate the Worst
Forms of Child Labor; the United
Nations (UN) Supplementary Convention on the Abolition
of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and
Practices Similar to Slavery; the Optional Protocol
to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child
Pornography; and the UN
International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families.
