Women workers abused abroad

The harrowing tales related by migrant women workers at a peoples hearing held on
Saturday at the Muktijuddha Jadughar, were painful and alarming. At the hearing on How
are the migrant women workers? the experiences shared by the victims were almost one and
the same. They all went overseas in search of means for a better living for themselves and
their families, but returned with cruel and hateful experiences.

At the peoples hearing arranged by the organisation One Million Rising, only a few of the
women gave accounts of their experiences. According to their accounts, migrant women
workers face all sorts of oppression and abuse. It is unfortunate that much of these sufferings
and abuses take place in Muslim countries of the Middle East where one would expect
religious norms to be followed strictly.

In the past too, the media and human rights organisations have highlighted the mistreatment
of migrant women workers. However, the government has taken no effective measures to
address the issue. The countries, where the women have been sent, have pledged to ensure
that such abuses will not take place anymore. Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries
have stopped sending their women workers to the Middle East. If necessary, we should take
the same decision. There is a shortage of employment for women workers in Bangladesh, but
that does not mean we will push them into danger and uncertainty.

Eminent persons attending the hearing, including former judges, called upon the government
to take responsibility of the migrant women workers safety. Whether at home or abroad, they
are citizens of Bangladesh. It is the government who must take their responsibility. It must be
ensured that each and every migrant woman worker have mobile phones so as to keep in
touch with their families back home. However, the employers with ulterior motives take their
mobile phones away to stop communication. The embassies in the respective countries must
keep an eye on such matters and maintain regular monitoring. Lack of logistics cannot be
used as an excuse to shirk duties.

If some of the oppressors can be tried and punished under the law, it is hoped that the
oppression of the women workers will lessen. We do not want to see any more migrant
women workers being oppressed and abused while employed overseas.
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Preventing child marriage

The Supreme Court on 19 November issued a very significant circular to the judges of the
lower courts, to prevent the misuse of the controversial clause which relaxes the minimum
age for marriage in the Child Marriage Prevention Act 2017. This may serve to decrease the
misuse of this clause.

Human rights and womens rights organisations were actively opposed to the clause added to
the law, which relaxed the minimum age of marriage. However, the parliament went ahead to
pass the law, turning a deaf ear to all protests. Since then, according to media reports, there
has been an alarming increase in under-age marriages with approval of the judicial courts.
Unless this propensity is nipped in the bud, it will soon spiral out of control. We certainly
hope this provision is scrapped altogether. Till then, the Supreme Courts circular can act as
an effective safeguard.

The circular stated that it had come to the notice to the Supreme Court that certain courts
were providing approval for under-age marriages without any sort of inquiry or investigation
into the highest interests of the under-aged individuals as per required in the special provision
of clause 19 in the act.

While welcoming this circular of the Supreme Court, we also call for stern action against the
failure to carry out proper inquiry and investigation. The issue may be added to the agenda of
the judicial conference to be held in December this year.

The provision in the act for proper investigation is making best of a bad situation. The court
is to approve child marriages only in extreme circumstances. The objective is to absolutely
discourage child marriage and keep it prohibited. We cannot imagine any judicial decision in
this regard without thorough investigation and reasoning. Otherwise it cannot be considered
in any way as a legal order.

We agree with the Supreme Court that the failure to comply with the clause in the law fails to
serve the purpose of the law. This violates the interests of the under-aged boys and girls and
cannot be accepted.
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Landlessness is no crime
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Collins Rozario and Raju Prasad, the sons of tea-garden worker parents, were in the final
selection list to be appointed as police constables, but were dropped as they did not own any
landed property.
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This is inhuman, illegal.

Apparently, according to the police department policy, one cannot be appointed if one does
not have landed property.

There can be no justification to retain laws drawn up during colonial times.


According to official records, there are about 1.7 million landless families in the country.

If, on average, each family has five members, then the number of landless totals 8.5 million.
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There can be no law or policy that violates their fundamental rights.

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The home ministry has admitted to this problem and has said it will initiate an amendment.
But when?

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The human rights commission chairman has said that this policy is a serious violation of
human rights.

A person will be considered a permanent resident of wherever he or she is registered as a
voter.
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The question of having landed property or not is irrelevant.

Landlessness cannot be a crime.


There has been sharp reaction to the issue after a report of these two young men was
published in Sundays Prothom Alo.

The human rights commission has written to the relevant authorities for these two men to be
duly appointed.

The Maulvibazar police super has asked the two young men to submit an application to
reconsider their case.
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If they can be appointed on the basis of this application, then why couldnt they be appointed
before the application?
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Why should the two job seekers suffer because of discrepancies in police policy?

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This incident points to the weaknesses within the police department, but also shows that there
are still people who respond t the injustices of society.


A generous man, after reading the report, has expressed his willingness to register land in the
name of these two young men.

We are touched by such magnanimity.


We demand that these two young men be appointed and also that the policies of the police
department be amended.