Improving the standard of human rights
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HUMAN rights are the rights that are ensured by the state in line with the standard of the international instruments and national policies outlined in line with that. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because of being a human being, and which are latent in all human beings irrespective of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. There is no standard parameter for the Human Rights. Still there is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which offers the guidelines for the establishment of human rights throughout the world.
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the principle guideline for the behavior of the dignity all the Bangladeshi citizens. Human rights have been highlighted throughout the constitution. Although the rights have been guaranteed throughout the constitution but they are violated frequently in different levels. The concept of human rights in general is very vague in Bangladesh. Even the educated people are not sure about the human rights. So it can be easily assumed that how much the illiterate people will know the aspects of human rights and flourish that accordingly. The basic human rights in Bangladesh are subject to extreme severity in different regions and in different groups.
Women are the main victims of the violations of human rights throughout the world. Similarly the women in the developing countries are the worst victims of the situation like that of Bangladesh. Despite the existing legislation prohibiting violence and discrimination against women, several police and newspaper reports and hospital statistics indicated the widespread increase in violence against women in Bangladesh, including domestic violence, rape, acid-throwing, dowry-related violence, fatwa-instigated violence and sexual harassment in the workplace. These all contribute to the exploitation, deprivation and oppression of women in Bangladesh, and all are violations of the fundamental human rights.
Violence against women conflicts with the basic human rights established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 and other documents like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Such violence denies women the right to life (ICCPR Article 6); right to be free from discrimination; right to health; right to bodily integrity; right to privacy; the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (ICCPR article 7); the right to liberty and security of person (ICCPR article 9); and the right to be free from all kinds of violence's including sexual violence.
Early marriage and pregnancy are also violations of the rights of the girl child to equal opportunities in education and training. The government of Bangladesh is failing to respect the rights of women as it does not consider all forms of violence against women, including sexual harassment at the workplace or religious induced violence sanctioning immoral behaviour and fatwas (an arbitrary religious decree) which remain outside the circumference of the law. Children are also vulnerable to the violation of human rights and they are subject to different violations based on the economic, social and cultural situations.
In this backdrop it can be suggested that in order to improve the standard of human rights in Bangladesh following measures can be taken into account:
* Enhancement of education.
* Enhancement of Public Awareness by mass media
* Making laws for activating and implementing human rights properly
It can be said that there are so many problems in Bangladesh but still we hope with the activation of newer policies and ideologies and expansion of mass awareness, human rights standards can be improved.
The writer is AssOCIATE Professor of Law at Bangladesh Open University.
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