Pandemic and prisons: the powder keg

Human-Kind is under attack. People of all races, colours, countries, religions and social classes stand on a common platform to face the massive onslaught of the coronavirus.

Protect human rights during the pandemic

In a situation where the covid-19 virus has overwhelmed some of the world’s best resourced healthcare systems, Bangladesh—like other developing countries—must brace for the worst.

Why citizens must speak out against injustice

The first amendment to the United States Constitution declares that government shall make no laws “abridging the freedom of speech”.

Addressing the plight of women migrant workers

In recent time numerous stories have been reported in the media about the unspeakable sufferings and exploitations of Bangladeshi women migrant workers (WMWs) in some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Has Bangladesh provided an excuse for Suu Kyi’s defence?

It was another reprehensible act of genocide denial. While defending the indefensible at the world court, the International Court of Justice

Rohingya repatriation: No more dancing around key issues

In the last two weeks, the world has witnessed a renewed interest in the Rohingya’s struggles for justice and persecution of Myanmar officials for the Rohingya genocide.

Jihadists of Bangladeshi descent

The verdict rejecting the appeal of the so-called ISIS bride, Shamima Begum, has stoked an important debate in the United Kingdom, raising serious concerns and anxiety among migrant families and rights activists.

Protecting the rights of a child offender

Bangladesh has a population of more than 160 million and almost half the population are children. Due to their young age, children who come in conflict with the law may not possess the maturity to realise the gamut of their acts, and they should not be exposed to the company of adult offenders since that is likely to have a negative impact on them.

What comes after the ICJ ruling?

All eyes were turned to The Hague on Thursday when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) came back with its momentous decision on emergency provisional measures for the protection of the persecuted Rohingya population of Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State.

Killings at the Bangladesh-India border

January 7 marked the ninth anniversary of the gruesome killing of Felani Khatun, 15 years old, at Anantapur border of Phulbari Upzila

Why is most of Asia looking away from Myanmar?

The latest resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly condemning rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups in Myanmar was the third such resolution on the subject.

Will the National Human Rights Commission fulfil our expectations?

At a recent dialogue between civil society members and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the newly appointed

Increasing accessibility for the disabled: Not just a moral obligation

Recently, I was travelling from Dhaka Sadarghat Terminal to Barishal by one of the three-storied vessels that are available on this route. Before the journey started, I was waiting on the deck and saw a young woman in a wheelchair being boarded on the vessel.

Let girls realise their dreams

All over the world, we are seeing more and more girls raising their voice for their rights. From stopping child marriages to standing up against gender-based violence and demanding action to address the climate emergency—girls are refusing to be ignored.

Child domestic workers need more protection

The recent report of an 11-year-old domestic help, Sharif, falling off a window shade of a high-rise building in his attempt to escape his employers who subjected him to brutal mental and physical torture, sheds light on an unacceptable social practice—employment of underage children in households as domestic help and their subsequent abuse at the hands of their employers.

A child’s right to identity

A name and a nationality are every child’s right. They are cardinal principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other key international treaties.