Human Rights in Bangladesh

It is established that as a ratified State of international human rights treaties the respective State should comply with its commitments and implement those rights giving effectiveness into domestic laws. Both the right to life and the right to liberty and security of persons are very important and significant in all leading international human rights instruments. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a major international human rights treaty which Bangladesh already ratified some years back. Although Bangladesh has ratified this convention, it does not meet international human rights standard, more particularly, the right to life and the right to liberty. There are many reasons for this ineffectiveness but the objective of this research is to prove that a lack of political will, and in particular, an unwillingness to take effective measures to ensure due compliance is one of the main reasons behind it. The dissertation has also been undertaken to find out what the effectiveness of the right to life and the right to liberty is under Articles 6 and 9 of the ICCPR in light of both Bangladesh and international law. Accordingly, it explains and analyzes legal provisions under the Bangladeshi laws, regional human rights conventions and international legal instruments for the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights particularly the right to life and the right to liberty for all citizens especially the human rights defenders. In this regard, the research also examines different judicial decisions from national jurisdiction, regional courts and international jurisdiction as well. It further investigates what the challenges are facing those who seek to ensure respect for human rights in Bangladesh and how they overcome it.