Hameeda Hossain

To the surprise of human rights defenders an Ordinance on an Human Rights Commission was promulgated on 23 December 2007. Although the need for such an institution had been pressed by human rights defenders for over 15 years, and Bangladesh had made international commitments to this effect, elected governments had failed to enact the legislation. The Government may be commended as this was not a commitment of the Caretaker Government. The Ordinance would have benefited from consultations with the human rights constituency and it is a pity that the bureaucrats’ committee tasked with this did not in fact hold any consultations in preparing the draft. While the announcement of the Government’s intention may help to prove Bangladesh’ credentials in the Human Rights Council in 2009, the design of the Human Rights Commission does not show serious capacity to promote, protect human rights, prevent violations and take action against the violators.

Bangladesh has never hesitated to signal a formal commitment to human rights. Chapter III of the Constitution expressly guarantees a citizen’s fundamental rights and civil liberties. Between 1998 and 2000, Bangladesh ratified three of the basic human rights treaties: the International Covenants for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), as well as the Convention on Torture (CAT). It had also ratified the Conventions on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and on Child Rights (CRC). There were a score of other international obligations Bangladesh had inherited as a successor state to Pakistan.

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