Posts in Human Rights

Labours’ right still unrecognised largely

Human Rights Research Spacial Day 1 Comment

The issue of labour exploitation caught people’s attention with the rising of industrialization. The industrialists started to exploits the labour class and deprived them from their rights. At that time, socialism was made appeal to working people and some people had their ideology of working class control over the production and distribution of all goods and services. The capitalists controlled industries to make more profits with their political agenda which created a class of anarchists those created socialists labour unions.

A greater social revolution was growing from that anarchism for a drastic change in the economic composition of capitalism. Thus, to protest the injustice, the labourers came forward and raise their voice. After a lot of struggle, they succeed and a special day is dedicated to appreciate and recognize the hard work and achievements of the labour class. Labour rights are a bunch of legal rights where the workers have a democratic voice in taking decisions and policy making.

The International Labour Day was declared after the incidents that took place in the streets of Chicago in 1886. At that time, the world was tumultuous because of the demands of the working class. Labour movement was a regular issue which demanded work accommodations like eight-hour workdays and unions. Every year more than 80 countries celebrated 1st May as national holiday for workers day and in many countries celebrated it unofficially. Our existent condition cannot be taken for granted. The rights and dignities we are enjoying today, people fought for these for a long time.

Like elsewhere in the world, this year Bangladesh is also observing the significant May Day. With great Dignity and honour our governments, as well as different labour-oriented organizations, are celebrating the day. To ensure proper welfare and justice toward the labours, our government has formulated Bangladesh Labour Law 2006, (Amendment in 2013). Bangladesh has also ratified the ILO Convention in 1972, and with the assistance of ILO our government is taking necessary steps to achieving Bangladesh’s decent work objectives.

International Labour Organization has fostered and aimed at promoting opportunities for women and men to gain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, dignity, and security since 1919. Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour, the effective abolition of child labour, the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation are the core labour standards of ILO to promote right to work and respect the labours.

Article 14 of The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh states that “It should be a fundamental responsibility of the state to emancipate the toiling masses- the peasants and workers- and backward section of the people from all forms of exploitation”. It is not only the moral obligation of a state but also our (People’s) responsibility to abide by the constitution and respect its noble ideals to protect the sovereignty, integrity, unity and inspired our national struggle for freedom. May Day reminds us that the fundamental responsibility of the state is to prevent injustice and all forms of exploitation.

Workers of Bangladesh, in many industries, have to face dangerous working conditions and are paid poor wages. Although recently the minimum wages have increased, it fails to meet most basic living cost of a worker. Another growing issue is the child labour which is still a concern of our country. Our law said that no child, who has not reached fourteen years of age, shall be required or allowed to work in any factory. We have rules and regulations regarding child labour issues but again because of proper implementation we failed to prevent it.

In addition, with the blast of population our labour migration is increasing day by day.  As a global citizen, Migrant workers’ have various policies and legislation to protect and uphold migrant worker’s rights, safety, and security in our country. Our migrant workers are playing a major pillar in our economy, for that reason our government needs more concentration on this issue.

We have the laws but the mechanisms are very poor to protect the labours’ rights. And the main reason behind this is ignorance of employer as well as workers and unawareness of government. To remove the lack of enforcement of the laws proper interpretation and implementation of labour rights is necessary.

May Day was a day of protests and riots which compelled the government of different countries to make different laws and at the same time by the grace of that day workers of now enjoying different privileges. In this auspicious day, we desire better relation between employees and employers, a standard minimum wages, compensation for injuries to workers during working hours, settlement of industrial disputes, health safety, welfare and better working environment of the working-class people.

The labourer contributes a huge to our society. So ensuring their protection and welfare is our responsibility. That’s why the right to peaceful assembly and association in the workplace is very much important. The mutual interdependencies, sense of well-being, and happiness of each individual can introduce a better society with a better environment. We all know that unity is strength and if employer and employee work together the society will be more benefited.

This article was also published in Daily Observer Op-Ed on 01 May 2019.

World Human Rights Day-2020 amid COVID-19

COVID-19 Human Rights Research

World Human Rights Day creates an opportunity to reaffirm the significance of human rights in rebuilding the world with global solidarity and shared humanity.

Humanity has no boundaries. Humanity possesses the peaceful coexistence of human beings as well as the entire ecology. We each possess some inner light that always looks for peace. And that light has the power to bring the whole world free of boundaries where people can share, contribute what they have and assist each other. For the protection of human beings, human rights are very essential and World Human Rights Day refreshes the sense of proper rights distribution.

Human rights

“Human rights are some basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person around the world from birth until death. These rights are based on shared values like dignity, equality, fairness, respect, and independence.”

The idea of basic rights and freedoms has deep roots from Britain. The landmark development of the “Magna Carta of 1215, the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, the Bill of Rights of 1689, and lastly through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, the fundamental rights and freedoms are set out at global level.”

“Human Rights need to navigate this crisis in a way to focus on gaining equitable and sustainable development as well as peace”

World Human Rights Day creates an opportunity to reaffirm the significance of human rights in rebuilding the world with global solidarity and shared humanity. Every year the world observed Human Rights Day on the 10th December. The day was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10th December 1948, the first global enunciation of human rights.

The aim of the UDHR is to establish a common standard of living for all people across the world. When the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration, it was proclaimed as a “Common standard of achievement for all people and all nations, towards which individuals and societies should strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance.”

Human Rights Day amid COVID-19

The spread of novel Coronavirus has affected not only people’s health but also their freedoms and livelihood that provokes a global human rights crisis. This year the theme of World Human Rights Day is about the COVID-19 pandemic which ponders upon the imperative need of building a better world by ensuring Human Rights. “With this notion, this year, the theme of World Human Rights Day-2020 is ‘Recover Better- Stand Up for Human Rights’.”

“Recover Better- Stand Up for Human Rights”

The rise of COVID-19 pandemic has become a great threat to public health which puts restrictions on certain rights by imposing quarantine or isolation that limits some basic freedom of human beings.

If we observe the pandemic crisis through the human rights lens, its impact on people, particularly the vulnerable people, can’t be described. In the present time, ensuring human rights for everyone and every country around the world has become a great challenge. The economic and social crisis as well as insufficient health and social protection systems require crucial attention.

In the present situation, Human Rights need to navigate this crisis in a way to focus on gaining equitable and sustainable development as well as peace. In the fight against the current pandemic, some rights are at top priority, most importantly, right to life and duty to protect life, right to health and access to health care and challenge to freedom of movement. “Livelihoods, access to services including food, health, water, education and social services, safety at home, adequate standards of living and family life have been already affected broadly by this pandemic.”

However, now the main focus in this world is on saving a life. As the greatest assets of the human world are health, knowledge, love, freedom, solidarity and peace are now being threatened by the pandemic, the purpose of life, as well as normal human psychology, is also changing. To recover and strengthen our commitment to human rights we all need to stand together. On this Human Rights Day, let’s imagine a new and better world where the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lead the way closer to recovery.

This article was also published in Orbital Affairs Op-Ed on 10 December 2020.

Appalling condition of Rohingyas

Human Rights Research

Humanity has no boundaries. Humanity possesses the peaceful coexistence of human beings with the entire ecology. We each possess some inner light that always looks for peace. This inner light has the power to bring the whole world together in which we can share, contribute what we have and assist each other. But it is really heartbreaking for a human being to flee the place where the individual has born and brought up in. Due to prosecution he/she has to do it.

Each year June 20, the world commemorates the courage and strength of refugee and joins together to honour them. World Refugee Day reminds us the systematic inequalities toward human beings. The refugees are forced to leave their own homeland due to war, terror, natural disaster or some other crisis. They are vulnerable and suffer hunger, disease, trauma, violence and loss.

On the World Refugee Day, the world dignifies their contributions and seeks to build empathy and resilience to build a bright future for them.This day is an expression of solidarity with people who have been forcefully displaced from their homes by war or some other reason. It is a global responsibility to deal with the broad idea of common humanity altogether.

Bangladesh is facing several challenges for the emergent Rohingya crisis. The Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) who are now staying in Bangladesh having experienced ethnic and religious persecution for decades in their country Myanmar. The influx began in 2017 and they started coming and living Bangladesh for ensuring the safety of their life & livelihood. It was one of the major humanitarian crises on Muslim minorities where heavily affected groups are women, children, disable and elderly persons.

The urgent needs of food, shelter, water, sanitation and medical assistance were made their life most vulnerable.Though Bangladesh Government told Myanmar to take back their people, Myanmar denied the citizenship of those Muslim minority and also denied persecuting those forcibly displaced people.It is not only about threat to life of FDMN’s for which they had to escape but also threat to humanity and peace indeed.

Rohingya refugees scramble for aid at a camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh in 2017
Rohingya refugees scramble for aid at a camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh in 2017

Like most other Asian countries Bangladesh did not accede to the 1951 International Refugee Convention and also there is no national refugee law that guarantees the status or rights of refugees. But Bangladesh is a signatory party of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),1948, where “All person is guaranteed the right to life, liberty and security of person, freedom of slavery, freedom form torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, the right to be recognised as a person before law and equality before law.”

“All person is guaranteed the right to life, liberty and security of person, freedom of slavery, freedom form torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, the right to be recognised as a person before law and equality before law.”

There is no doubt that Bangladesh has shown its humanity and graciousness toward the FDMNs by providing temporary shelter, keeping their borders open and with the help of international communities leading this humanitarian responses.Although its impact on the host community is massive, people have to keep in mind that they didn’t flee by choice but from necessity.

The large group of FDMN’s though creating some trouble on national systems, comprehensive planning and responsibilities sharing can reduce the trouble.They need the opportunity to use their skills and abilities to contribute equally to the community while rebuilding their lives. They should have the opportunity to contribute more to local community as everyone deserve the opportunity to survive. Thus, burden sharing can create the potential to benefit host countries and also provide a chance of protection and safety to the refugee people.

If we look at the current situation, the whole world is now passing through a critical time because of the most widespread pandemic outbreak COVID-19. In one hand Bangladesh is facing different challenges in case of assisting FDMN’s, on the other hand, the present pandemic already has entered and started spreading among the community which added a new challenging situation to an already complex condition.

The vast population of refugee camp remain highly vulnerable. As those people are staying in congested area with many difficulties so they are now at high risk in the present situation.For this reason, physical distancing which is a crucial aspect in this epidemic situation, poses a great challenge toward these people. It’s hard to perceive the magnitude of the crisis of displaced people.

Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on 9/20/2017. © Sk Hasan Ali / Shutterstock

The Government of Bangladesh as well as the humanitarian organisations are working continuously for this people so that they can support themselves for survival. One can clearly see in their body language that they are always in surviving mode. The chances of resettlement and the FDMN’s livelihood provide them opportunity to hope again and help them dare to accomplish their dream.

The world should not only commemorate the day with respect but also have to concern that the forcibly displaced people should be central to a country’s development and planning. Thus, in this world Refugee day lets commit for stand together with solidarity and magnanimity with refugees for the sake of humanity.

This article was also published in Daily Observer Op-Ed on 20 June 2020.