Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability, Language, or Social Status
The Constitution states that "all citizens are equal before the law and are entitled
to equal protection by the law." In practice, laws aimed at eliminating discrimination
are not strongly enforced. In this context, women, children, minority groups, and the
disabled often confront social and economic disadvantages.
Women
Although there has been slow improvement over the last few years, women remain
in a subordinate position in Bangladesh society, and the Government has not acted
to protect their basic freedoms. Only 20 percent of women are literate, compared to
35 to 40 percent of the general population. In rural areas, only 30 percent of primary
school students are female; less than 25 percent at the secondary level, and below
15 percent at the college and university level. Women are often unaware of their
rights owing to high illiteracy rates and unequal educational opportunities. Strong
social stigmas and lack of economic means to obtain legal assistance
frequently keep women from seeking redress in the courts.
According to the 1961 Muslim Family Ordinance, female heirs receive less
inheritance than male heirs, and wives are more restricted in divorce rights. Men are
permitted to have up to four wives.
While job growth opportunities have been stronger for women than for men in the
past few years, this is almost entirely due to the growth of the garment industry, in
which female workers are prevalent. Women still occupy only a small fraction of
other wage-earning jobs, and hold fewer than 5 percent of government jobs. The
Government's policy to include more women in government jobs has had limited
effect.
Violence against women is difficult to quantify because of unreliable statistics, but
observers say that wife beating is widespread. In 1994 human rights groups and the
press reported many incidents of violence against women, in only some of which
the perpetrators were reportedly prosecuted. In villages vigilante groups meted out
humiliating, painful punishments, including whipping, to women accused of moral
offenses.
The Government has enacted laws specifically prohibiting certain forms of
discrimination against women, including the Antidowry Prohibition Act of 1980 and the
Cruelty to Women Law of 1983. Enforcement of these laws is weak, especially in
rural areas. The Government seldom prosecutes vigorously those cases that are
filed.
Children
The Government undertakes programs in the areas of primary education, health,
family planning, and nutrition. The Government made universal primary education
mandatory in 1991, but stated that it could not fully implement the law because of
a lack of resources. Little progress was made in 1994.
Human rights monitors continue to report that many children have been
abandoned, kidnaped, sold into bondage, and employed as prostitutes. One human
rights group claims that there are about 29,000 child prostitutes. The law does not
allow anyone under 18 to engage in prostitution, and stipulates a maximum
sentence of life imprisonment for persons found guilty of forcing a child into
prostitution. However, procurers of minors are rarely prosecuted.
Indigenous People
Tribal peoples, especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, have a marginal ability to
influence decisions concerning the use of their lands. Until 1985 the Government
regularly parceled out the land in the Chittagong Hills to Bengali settlers.
The Government has moved toward granting the tribal peoples more authority in
the Chittagong Hill Tracts. In July 1991, tribal-dominated local government councils
assumed control over primary education, health, family welfare and the agricultural
extension service. However, government security forces continue to control law and
order as well as land use (see also Section 1.g.).
Tribal peoples in other areas have also reported loss of land to Bengali Muslims
through questionable legal practices and other means. For example, the Garo people,
who live in the Madhapur Forest region in north central Bangladesh, have
encountered problems in trying to maintain their cultural traditions and livelihoods in
the face of reforestation projects in. Human rights monitors in the region claim that
the Garos are being harassed and intimidated into leaving their homes to make way
for these government-run, internationally financed projects.
Religious Minorities
Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists make up an estimated 10 percent of the
population. Although the Government is secular, religion exerts a powerful influence
on politics. The Government is sensitive to the Muslim consciousness of the
majority of its citizens and has sought the political support of the Jamaat-i-Islami, the
country's large Islamic political party.
Throughout the country, Islamic extremists violently attacked women, religious
minorities, journalists, writers, and development workers. The Government failed to
denounce, investigate, and prosecute perpetrators of these attacks.
Among the most serious attacks were those carried out against nongovernmental
organizations (NGO's) accused of conducting anti-Islamic activities. Some of the
violence against NGO's was prompted when Islamic religious leaders claimed that
NGO's denigrated Islam and coerced Muslims to convert to Christianity.
Religious minorities are in practice disadvantaged in such areas as access to
government jobs and political office. Selection boards in the government services
are often without minority group representation.
Property ownership, particularly among Hindus, has been a contentious issue
since independence, when many Hindus lost landholdings because of anti-Hindu
discrimination in the application of the law. Reported cases of violence directed
against religious minority communities has also resulted in the loss of property--
most recently in December 1992 after Hindus in India destroyed the Babri mosque.
Such intercommunal violence has caused some members of religious minority
groups to depart the country. However, there were no significant instances of
intercommunal violence in 1994.
People with Disabilities
The laws provide for equal treatment and freedom from discrimination for the
disabled. The Government has not enacted specific legislation or otherwise
mandated accessibility for the disabled.