Justice for Children in Bangladesh: An analysis of recent cases

Over the last few decades, there has been an increased understanding worldwide of the vulnerability of children, and the consequent need for the protection of their rights and interests. The UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was drawn up as a result of this increased awareness. Although the UNCRC was signed and ratified by Bangladesh in 1990, the need for extra protection for children was recognised at a much earlier date. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh makes provision for children’s rights/interests to be given priority, correctly recognising children as being an underprivileged and vulnerable section of society. Shortly after this, the Children Act, enacted in 1974, was drawn up exclusively to address the situation of children who find themselves coming into contact with the law in some manner, either as accused, or as victims, or witnesses. These two pieces of legislation, together with a number of other laws, form the legal infrastructure surrounding children in Bangladesh today.

This publication reviews those precepts set forth by the aforementioned laws and establishes how they can or have been interpreted in reality – often to the detriment of the child. The appendices include the full text of the judgements presented in the review.