Beyond The Facade: A Legal Deep Dive Into Minority Rights In Bangladesh

Abir Karmakar, Advocate (Dhaka District’s and Sessions Court) LL.M, Bangladesh University of ProfessionalsLL.B. (Hon’s) Taylor’s University, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The Independence of Bangladesh was considered as a victory for the ‘secular power’ which reflected in the original constitution of Bangladesh being founded on ‘secularism and non-discrimination’. However, 1975 was a point of departure when the constitution adopted an ‘Islamic Character’ making the minorities second class citizen of this country. In addition, the biased stance of constitution towards the Muslim community impacted the whole minority society at large in relation to their human rights. Inconsistencies and abnormality in the constitution and from other legislations made the equality clauses meaningless. Further, communal violence, violence against religious rights, torture, extortion, forceful conversion to Islam, religious discrimination have pushed the minorities on the verge of vanishing. Thus, this paper articulates different aspects of the minorities rights in Bangladesh and attempts to reveal the truth behind the fancy words such as ‘equality, justice, rule of law and fundamental human rights’ that are used to draw an impression of communal harmony in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Minorities Rights, Bangladesh, Reality, Human Rights, Religious Violations, Discriminations, Constitutional Inconsistencies