Bangladesh News

Chief Justice M Ruhul Amin yesterday said the demand for equal rights for women in every aspect of life is logical.

“Women are about a half of the total population. Hence, their demand for equal rights is logical. Then why various incidents are taking place now centring the issue?” he wondered.

The chief justice was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day workshop titled ‘Justice System Education Initiative on Gender Equality Issues’, arranged by Khan Foundation in its Democracy Auditorium in the morning.

Chaired by former minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, the event was addressed, among others, by Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, and Executive Director of Khan Foundation Advocate Rokhsana Khondker.

Ombudsman of the state of West Bengal of India Samaresh Banerjee, addressed the event as the guest of honour.

Referring to a part of the country’s constitution that guarantees equal rights for women, the chief justice said without establishing women’s rights Bangladesh will never become a well educated democratic state.

He urged the country’s judges to play their roles in courts on various gender issues with compassion towards the women.

Justice Fazlul Karim also laid emphasis on the sympathy of judges when dealing with cases filed by women seeking justice.

He said, “We, the judges, always try to pronounce objective verdicts. But sometimes because of our unconscious minds, a woman might become a victim of injustice. So, be very careful, put yourself in that woman’s shoes.”

Samaresh Banerjee said judicial systems in South Asian countries are not well equipped to deal with crimes on gender issues.

Gender justice is a new jurisprudence all over the world, he said, and underscored the need for initiating judicial education on gender issues in Saarc countries.