Many still don’t have access to justice

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Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday regretted that many economically and socially disadvantaged people still do not have access to justice to vindicate their rights, over three decades after the country’s independence.

“They are often deprived of basic legal and other institutional services, which put them in a situation of vulnerability where their entitlement to fundamental rights, dignity and justice is compromised,” he said.

The head of the caretaker government made the remarks while addressing a function in observance of the International Human Rights Day 2007 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs organised the function in collaboration with the United Nations. The theme of this year’s Human Rights Day is “Dignity and Justice for all of us”.

Law Adviser Mainul Hosein, Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Coordinator of UN System in Bangladesh and UNDP Resident representative Renata L Dessallien and Secretary in charge of the Law Ministry Kazi Habibul Awal also spoke on the occasion.

Diplomats, human rights activists and distinguished personalities were present.

Addressing the function, the CA regretted that even three and a half decades after Bangladesh’s independence, the promise of a justice-delivery system based on equitable principles and practices has not been fully realised.

The Bangladesh constitution in its preamble provides that it shall be a fundamental aim of the state to realise through a democratic process a society in which the rule of law, fundamental rights, freedom, equality and justice–political, economic and social -will be secured for all citizens, the CA mentioned.

He said it is commonly recognised today that human dignity and human rights are indivisible and inter-dependent, and universality of human rights demands eradication of global inequalities.

“Effective empowerment of the people through human development by ensuring dignity and justice for all is an important aim of any legal system which is fully committed to human rights,” he told his audience.

“We need to emphasise the fact here that while poverty has both cause and effect linkages to continued violations of human rights it also stands as the biggest obstacle to promoting human dignity and justice,” he said.

The CA stressed the need for elimination of poverty thus remains an indispensable precondition for ensuring human dignity and justice for all.

However, the CA mentioned his government’s visions and approaches to ensure dignity and justice for all. He particularly cited Sunday’s approval of an ordinance to set up National Human Rights Commission, establishment of fully independent judiciary, a reconstituted election commission, independent Anti-Corruption Commission, recast Public Service Commission and formation of the Regulatory Reforms Commission.

He hoped that those steps would strengthen the foundations of democracy in the country.

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