Bangladesh returned to democratic rule in 2009 after two years of a military-backed interim government that ruled the country under a state of emergency. Constitutionally guaranteed rights, suspended during most of 2007 and 2008 were restored, and the elected government made strong commitments to address a number of serious human rights concerns that still remained.1
For Bangladeshi children, this is very good news. But the biggest threats to their safety remain: poverty, discrimination and the effects of natural disasters. Save the Children supports the development of a comprehensive child protection system at national as well as community level, and advocates for a decentralised and integrated child justice system. Save the Children also seeks to illegalise harmful child labour.2
Recent history
Bangladesh first came into being as an independent nation in 1971, when the east and west parts of Pakistan split following a bitter civil war. Historically an important part of the Indian realm because of its dense and large population and rich agriculture, the predominantly Muslim region that is now called Bangladesh became a province of Pakistan after the partition in 1947, but political discontent turned into civil war and the creation of a new state.3
Bangladesh spent 15 years under military rule and although democracy was restored in 1990, the political scene remains unstable.4 In the first national parliamentary elections in seven years, the Awami League won a landslide victory in predominantly peaceful polls held in 2008 and its leader Sheik Hasina was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister. In Bangladesh, political tensions have often led to violence and, consequently, hundreds of people have been killed in recent years.5 Attacks have often specifically targeted opposition rallies and public gatherings.
In recent years hundreds of civilians have been killed as political tensions have spilled over into violence. Religious extremism exploded in a string of bomb attacks in August 2005. The government, which long denied that it had a problem with militants, has outlawed two fringe Islamic organisations.6
Political/ economic situation
Despite the fact that Bangladesh in the past decades has successfully reduced population growth and improved education and health, poverty is still deep and widespread7 and one in four is considered extremely poor. According to the independent organisation Transparency International, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most corrupted states.8
The country´s agriculture is not enough to meet the demand for jobs. Thus many Bangladeshis seek work abroad, sometimes illegally. The country is trying to diversify its economy, with industrial development a priority, and with overseas investors focusing on manufacturing and the energy sector.9
Human rights
The human rights situation is still characterised by injustices, involving many cases of torture and extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, and impunity. In 2009 the new government sought and received UN assistance in its efforts to investigate and prosecute crimes against humanity and other serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed in 1971. According to Amnesty International, this could be seen as progress since past governments have taken no action to investigate or prosecute these crimes.10
Yet reports of extrajudicial executions and custodial torture prevail, as well as impunity for members of the security forces. Following a bloody rebellion in 2009 within the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), thousands of guards were arrested, many tortured, and some killed in detention.11 As the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance came into effect in 2008, its broadly formulated definition of acts of terror further eroded safeguards against arbitrary arrest and detention.12
Police used excessive force against peaceful demonstrations on several occasions. According to Amnesty International at least 54 people were estimated to have died in suspected extrajudicial executions by police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in the first half of the 2008 alone. No one was held accountable for the deaths. At least 185 people were sentenced to death, and five men were executed.13
Discrimination against women continued, in law and in practice, and violence against women including beatings, acid attacks and dowry deaths, were reported. Domestic violence is a daily reality for many women, and long-awaited laws on domestic violence and sexual harassment were still pending in 2009. The Acid Survivors Foundation reported 90 acid attacks, primarily against women, between January and September, but only eight convictions.14
In March 2008, the government announced amendments to the National Women Development Policy in order to further promote equality for women. However, the amendments were not implemented after the announcement met with fierce resistance from Islamist groups who rallied in protest saying the amendments defied the Islamic law of inheritance.15 Bangladesh's reservations against the requirement in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to ensure equal rights for women and men remain in effect. Homosexuality is a crime, punishable by a lifetime in prison, under Section 377 of Bangladesh's criminal code 16