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Perceptions, Attitudes and Understandings a Baseline Survey on Human Rights in Bangladesh

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Perceptions, Attitudes and Understandings a Baseline Survey on Human Rights in Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Perceptions, Attitudes and Understandings A Baseline Survey on Human Rights in Bangladesh Final Report October 2011 Supported by Baseline Study by Data Management Aid Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Baseline Survey on Human Rights Table of contents Study Team .................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... v List of abbreviations ........................................................................................ vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 1 Summary of recommendations ........................................................................ 5 PART 1 - BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 12 1. Country background ............................................................................... 12 2. The National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh (NHRC) .......... 13 3. NHRC Strategic Plan and key themes .................................................... 14 4. Objectives of the Assignment ................................................................. 15 5. Consultant team ...................................................................................... 16 6. Quantitative survey ................................................................................. 16 7. Qualitative survey ............................................................................... 1918 8. Additional research ............................................................................. 2019 9. Limitations........................................................................................... 2019 10. Household characteristics and profile of respondents ..................... 2019 PART 2 – GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN RIGHTS.................................. 2221 1. Major problems identified .................................................................... 2221 2. What are human rights and which should be protected? .................... 2524 3. Protecting human rights and the Constitution ..................................... 2726 4. Rights and obligations ........................................................................ 2827 5. Sources of information ........................................................................ 2928 6. Reporting human rights violations ....................................................... 3029 PART 3 – CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS ........................................................... 3433 1. Gender-based discrimination .............................................................. 3433 a. Introduction ..................................................................................... 3433 b. Problems faced by women in Bangladesh ..................................... 3634 c. Equality and discrimination.............................................................. 3736 d. Experiences of discrimination and abuse ........................................ 4038 2. Violence against women ..................................................................... 4039 a. Legal Framework and Services ....................................................... 4039 b. Domestic violence ........................................................................... 4241 c. Sexual violence and acid violence ...................................................... 44 d. Sexual harassment ......................................................................... 4645 e. Dowry .............................................................................................. 4645 f. Has violence against women increased over the past five years? .. 4746 g. Access to justice for women survivors of violence .......................... 4847 3. RELIGIOUS MINORITIES AND THE RIGHT TO EQUALITYError! Bookmark not defined.49 a. Introduction ......................................................................................... 49 b. Major problems facing religious minorities in Bangladesh ............... 5049 c. Experiences of discrimination .......................................................... 5453 d. Dalits or Harijans (‘untouchables’) ................................................... 5554 4. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE RIGHT TO EQUALITY ........................... 5655 a. Major problems facing people with disabilities in Bangladesh ......... 5655 b. Equality and discrimination.................................................................. 57 c. Women with disabilities ................................................................... 5857 5. VIOLENCE BY STATE MECHANISMS .............................................................. 58 i │ P a g e National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Baseline Survey on Human Rights a. Introduction ......................................................................................... 58 b. Extrajudicial killings ......................................................................... 5958 c. Torture............................................................................................. 6261 6. ACCESS TO JUSTICE .............................................................................. 6564 a. Formal system ................................................................................. 6564 b. Barriers in accessing the formal justice system ............................... 6665 c. Quality of services in the formal system .......................................... 6867 d. Access to justice in the informal system .......................................... 6968 e. Quality of services in the informal system ....................................... 7069 PART 4 – SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS ............................................................... 7371 1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 7371 2. Government services .......................................................................... 7472 3. Specific issues .................................................................................... 7674 4. Health ................................................................................................. 7775 5. Education ............................................................................................ 7876 6. Migrant workers .................................................................................. 7977 PART 5 - CHILD RIGHTS AND CHILD LABOUR .................................................... 8280 1. Child rights .......................................................................................... 8280 2. Who is a child? ................................................................................... 8381 3. Major issues........................................................................................ 8482 a. Underage marriage ......................................................................... 8482 b. Violence against children ................................................................ 8684 c. Sexual exploitation .......................................................................... 8785 d. Trafficking........................................................................................ 8785 4. What rights should be protected for children?..................................... 8886 5. Child labour......................................................................................... 8987 a. Law and policy ................................................................................ 8987 b. Scope of the problem ...................................................................... 9088 c. Awareness of the harmful effects and law and policy ...................... 9189 d. Hours of work .................................................................................. 9290 e. Hazardous work .............................................................................. 9391 6. Indigenous children ............................................................................. 9492 PART 6 - INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (ADIBASHIS) .................................................. 9593 1. Major problems facing Adibashis in Bangladesh ................................ 9593 2. Equality and discrimination ................................................................. 9694 3. Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) ............................................................... 9795 4. Experiences of discrimination and access to justice ......................... 10098 PART 7 - CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.................................................. 103101 PART 8 – CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................... 106104 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 106104 2. Methods – education and awareness ............................................. 106104 a. Joint campaigns .......................................................................... 106104 b. Will targeted campaigns be required? ......................................... 107105 c. Human rights in formal education ................................................ 107105 d. Television and radio .................................................................... 108106 e. Publications ................................................................................
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