Citizens’ platforms and experts have urged the government to draft the Anti-Discrimination Act to ensure justice and end gender-based violence and discrimination among the people of the country.
They made the call during a media briefing, titled ‘Citizen Agenda for Inclusive Development and Equity’, at the BRAC Centre in Dhaka on Saturday.
The call came during the keynote presentation of one of the agendas — the practical implementation of laws and judicial processes for eradicating gender-based violence and discrimination — presented and discussed by development professional and gender analyst MB Akhter.
The experts also emphasised that political parties should pay more attention to this.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of the Manusher Jonno Foundation, said, “We are embarrassed to talk about the Anti-Discrimination Act. We have been waiting for this law to pass for 10 years. For the past one and a half years, it has been stuck with the concerned parliamentary standing committee. We do not know why those who cannot formulate it are in charge of it.”
“We need to change our mentality towards the discrimination women and ethnic minorities face as there is a tendency of not accepting the differences in our social structure. Our education system also does not teach diversity,” she said.
“Every institution is becoming politicised, so the bill is still in limbo. Bureaucracy is a huge stone, but it's round, every small initiative will bring some changes to it,” she added.
Centre for Policy Dialogue’s (CPD) Distinguished Fellow Professor Mustafizur Rahman said, “In 2022, we visited different districts of Bangladesh and identified 11 problems after talking to the locals. We divided this into three clusters — economic, social and good governance. We have done two policy briefs before, and today we have brought forth three more issues in a new brief.”
“We are talking about focusing on constitutional as well as legal framework. Besides, there is a plan to implement the National Action Plan on Violence against Women (2012-2025). However, not everyone is getting the benefit of it. Women in marginal, pastoral, coastal and hilly communities are deprived of this,” he added.
Experts also raised concerns on several issues, including a lack of trust in society. Given that the nation is under the control of the elite class, a democratic perspective requires a distinct approach. At the moment, regulatory agencies are dealing with a culture of fear, they said, putting emphasis on the rule of law.
They also made some recommendations that involve addressing gender discrimination and its intersections with caste, religion, ethnicity or occupation, incorporating provisions to criminalise discrimination, ensuring a fair trial and due process, and guaranteeing adequate support and protection for victims, especially those seeking redress, along with clear definitions of eligible victims.
They encouraged collaborative efforts with civil society organisations and NGOs for effective implementation, saying initiatives to raise awareness among duty-bearers and the public were crucial.
Establishing an independent commission to implement the Anti-Discrimination Act’s provisions requires a firm commitment from all political parties and the government for successful execution, they said.
