Rights-based civil society groups have urged urgent action to protect women during disasters, emphasizing their right to physical, mental, and reproductive healthcare and security. They stressed that women often suffer long-term physical and emotional harm due to a lack of awareness, sensitivity, and inadequate emergency services. They called for the protection of women to be a top priority in all disaster relief and service delivery efforts. The appeal was made during a virtual press conference organised by the National Committee for the Observation of International Rural Women's Day on Monday. The event was chaired by Shamima Akhtar, Chairperson of the National Committee for International Rural Women's Day Observation, and moderated by Ferdous Ara Rumee, the Secretariat Coordinator of the committee. Khadijatul Kubra, Program Officer of COAST Foundation, presented the keynote paper. France-based rights group urges scrapping death penalty in Bangladesh Speakers highlighted the physical, financial, and emotional strain women face during and after disasters, which often goes unrecognised. They emphasized the importance of women-friendly and inclusive initiatives, involving both government and non-government agencies, to address the challenges faced by women during disasters. In her keynote, Khadijatul Kubra mentioned that over 5.1 million people have been affected by floods in the eastern region this year.” Low-income and marginalised communities, especially women and children, are the hardest hit. Women often spend nights on rooftops or boats to protect their belongings and livestock, while children fall ill due to exposure to wet conditions.” Women, particularly those menstruating, face significant challenges in maintaining hygiene due to a lack of clean water and sanitary supplies, she said adding pregnant women are at even greater risk as reproductive health services are often insufficient during disasters. “Overcrowded shelters, lack of separate toilets for women, and insufficient clean water exacerbate these issues, undermining women's safety and dignity.” Committee member Mothura Tripura pointed out that the abortion rate in the eastern regions has increased due to stress from floods, loss of assets, malnutrition, and lack of care. She called for emergency reproductive health services for pregnant women during disasters. Children's Rights without discrimination demanded Ferdous Ara Rumee highlighted the specific risks faced by pregnant women in disaster situations and urged for comprehensive awareness programs on reproductive health, in collaboration with local communities and health workers

The United States has said civil society voices in every country are crucial to upholding people’s right to freedom and dignity. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas hosted a dinner on Sunday night listened to the work of human rights advocates in Bangladesh. Lu left Dhaka early Monday (2am) wrapping up his quick visit with a series of meetings. Read more: Lu pledges US administration's continuous support, cooperation for all future efforts

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter has said Washington is working "very closely" with Bangladeshi civil society actors to deliver free and fair elections in the country. "Our USAID mission is working very closely," she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after her meeting with Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam. Read more: Bangladesh ambassador presents credentials to Chilean president The US official said they discussed maritime security and how they can cooperate with Bangladesh and other forms of maritime cooperation in the region during the meeting. She said they also discussed a range of bilateral issues, including  US support for "free and fair" elections in Bangladesh.  "Very exciting to be here to talk about a whole range of issues," said Akhter, who is Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) for Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives, as well the Office of Security and Transnational Affairs. Read more: Bangladesh Ambassador to US Imran calls for working unitedly under PM Hasina's leadership She most recently served as a Senior Adviser to SCA Assistant Secretary Don Lu. Previously, Akhter was the National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen.US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas was also present. 

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government had unmasked some people including a section of civil society and their political intentions through the recent visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. “We believe in engagement. We are committed and we have enough goodwill (to look into human rights issues). We could prove it,” he told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that it is very “low and mean” as some people sought her intervention in terms of election. The State Minister said those people who are spreading misinformation and sought UN rights chief’s intervention during her visit are actually helping the anti-Awami League political platform (BNP-Jamaat). “It’s an evil effort to malign the government.” He said the BNP and Jamaat with their people at home and abroad have continuously been spreading misinformation. The state minister expressed his surprise as some people raised some issues which go beyond the UN human rights chief’s mandate and said those people do not have adequate knowledge on how the UN system operates. Shahriar said Bachelet made it clear during her meeting with a section of civil society that it is not within her mandate to address the demands related to the next national election in Bangladesh. He described such effort “objectionable” and it is not a healthy practice at all. Read:Bachelet raised no concern over country’s human rights condition: Anisul Haque Shahriar said the UN human rights chief understood where these people came from and what their intention was. He, however, said the government has a great respect for the civil society for their role in various areas while a section of it has a political intention. Shahriar said the so-called opposition parties have a big “misperception and misconception” that their many demands will be met once they raise the issues with the UN human rights chief. “They live in a fool's paradise.” The UN hss given a a list of 76 people who allegedly got disappeared.  Of them, the government traced 10 and submitted a report to the UN.  Of the remaining 66, there are many notorious criminals and such criminals generally go into hiding to evade the trial process, Shahriar said. The government will continue its efforts to trace those people, he said. The State Minister said Bachelet did not meet the opposition leaders but engaged her colleague to talk to them. The government of Bangladesh invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She hoped her visit would build on the government’s engagement with the UN’s human rights mechanisms and help deepen cooperation with us, furthering the promotion and protection of human rights in Bangladesh. In Dhaka, she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ministers - foreign affairs, home affairs, law, and education - and other officials. For all the significant human rights challenges ahead – economic, climate-related, political, social and humanitarian – she was convinced that if the powerful resources within the whole society are harnessed, and policies and responses are crafted with the participation of many diverse voices, Bangladesh will continue to shine brighter in its remarkable development journey.

Civil society needs "space, and enabling conditions" to play their crucial role in identifying and helping resolve human rights challenges, UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said Monday. She had "important exchanges" with a diverse range of civil society actors in the city, according to her office. Talking to reporters after the meeting at a city hotel, rights activist and coordinator of Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir said they talked about the human rights situation in Bangladesh highlighting both “positive aspects and weaknesses” and the areas where corrective measures are needed. “These issues were discussed clearly and openly,” she said.   Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said she highlighted the challenges and role of international rights bodies. Read: Bachelet assures UN’s continued efforts to ensure safe repatriation of Rohingyas She said issues of democracy, digital security, accountability, good governance and environment came up for discussion in the meeting. ,  Barrister Sara Hossainm, who received the US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award, said they shared the issues of those who work on human rights and provide legal support. Bachelet is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday morning. She will make a statement on her four-day visit in the afternoon before her departure. She had meetings with four ministers, including Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Sunday. The top executive of the UN Human Rights body will also interact with the forcibly displaced Rohingya people during her Cox's Bazar trip. Through this visit, she would be equipped with concrete information to press hard for the repatriation of the Myanmar nationals to the ancestral homeland Rakhine, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bachelet arrived in Dhaka Sunday morning as Bangladesh continued "constructive dialogue" with her for the promotion and protection of human rights.

The civil society representatives Wednesday demanded the direct inclusion of income taxpayers into the universal pension scheme (UPS), which is expected to be announced in the national budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. They also urged the government to take everyone's opinion into account to design an effective and sustainable scheme at a pre-budget seminar organised by COAST Foundation in Dhaka. Ahsanul Karim, assistant director at COAST Trust, said constitutionally Bangladesh is a welfare state but the approach of the UPS is somehow a commercial instead of being a rights-based one. The income taxpayers will have to be included directly into the UPS as they are key resource mobilisers to develop the country and have the right to get the benefit, he said. Barrister Shamim Haider MP said the proposed UPS is like an investment instrument that needs to be revised for shaping an institutional framework to serve everyone based on their economic status. "The change has to be made before submitting it to the cabinet." READ: Special allocation in budget required for SW coastal districts: Civil society leaders COAST Foundation Chairman Dr Tofail Ahmed said the UPS is now one of the options that can benefit the people who pay taxes directly and indirectly. He recommended bringing the "zakat fund" under a regulatory framework in mobilising substantial resources for UPS through paying tax incentives. Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said: "Poor people must be supported through the pension scheme. So, make the pension scheme people-focused within the quickest time," he said.

The European Union (EU) has welcomed the "openness" of the Bangladesh government regarding an international election observation mission for the next general elections. Bangladesh and the EU held their 10th Joint Commission meeting in Brussels on Friday, in a very "constructive and open" atmosphere, covering a wide range of issues of common interest. The Joint Commission reviewed political developments on both sides and discussed the state of democracy, rule of law and governance, including the importance of holding free and fair elections, according to a message received here from the Bangladesh mission in Brussels.Bangladesh and the EU exchanged views on respective approaches to the advancement of the rights of minorities, the rights of women and children and to engagement on human rights in multilateral fora.The EU stressed that a vibrant civil society is an important component of democracy, raised concerns on human rights in Bangladesh, in particular reports of alleged violation of human rights and emphasized the need to ensure accountability for such violations.The EU also raised concerns regarding the issues of civic space and freedom of expression offline and online, notably in the framework of the Digital Security Act (DSA), noting the importance for legislation and its implementation in this area not to go beyond the stated purpose of fighting digital crime and to be in line with international Human Rights obligations.The EU emphasised that promoting and protecting human rights for all, regardless of ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, disability or socio-economic background is crucial for stability, economic growth and development.The EU stands ready to provide increased cooperation in view of Bangladesh’s next Universal Periodic Review in 2023.The Bangladesh side stated that the government is committed to guaranteeing human rights for all as enshrined in its constitution. The government has a 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism and violent extremism and highlighted the remarkable success of the security apparatus in this regard.The Bangladesh side also said that it values the nearly five-decade-long partnership with the European Union and appreciates objective and constructive observations.The EU and Bangladesh discussed governance, democracy, rule of law and human rights, the Rohingya crisis, economic and trade cooperation, migration, climate change, education, development cooperation and regional cooperation. In this context, they looked forward to the first EU-Bangladesh Political Dialogue in Dhaka in June this year.Rohingya crisis The EU reiterated its appreciation for the continued generous role and action of the people and government of Bangladesh in temporarily hosting more than a million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) or Rohingya refugees for more than four years.Bangladesh thanked the EU for its political and humanitarian support in addressing this humanitarian catastrophe created by Myanmar.They both stressed the need for voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingya to Myanmar, and the importance of continued delivery of essential assistance, support, and services.The EU raised the importance of providing perspectives to the largely young population of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, especially in terms of health, education and livelihoods.Bangladesh welcomed the additional humanitarian aid announced on 20 May 2022 by the European Union to ensure life-saving support for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and host communities in Bangladesh.Trade, labour rightsThe EU commended Bangladesh for its continuing success as the largest beneficiary of the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) unilateral preferential trade arrangement.It was recalled that EBA preferences are conditional on the respect of human rights, including labour rights, as reflected in the international conventions listed in the GSP Regulation.Sustained reforms of labour rights standards by the government of Bangladesh, and their full alignment with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions are crucial in this regard.In this context, the EU welcomed the finalisation and publication of Bangladesh´s National Action Plan on the Labour Sector and stressed the need for its comprehensive implementation as per the stipulated timelines, for regular updates periodically on its implementation and for trying to advance the timelines of revising the labour law applicable in export-processing zones.Bangladesh reiterated the need for ensuring fair prices, especially in view of the investment being made in safer and greener factories.

The Cox's Bazar Civil Society and NGO Forum (CCNF), a network of local NGOs and CSOs, on Sunday demanded transparency and local government participation in the Rohingya response management.  At a virtual press conference the CCNF leaders also demanded a parliamentary caucus on the issue. Read:Crimes against Rohingyas: ICC Prosecutor seeks joint efforts to deliver justice They urged a ban on use of plastic andcgroundwater and a limited use of bamboo as part of Rohingya management. Abu Morshed Chowdhury of PHALS and Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Foundation conducted the press conference.  Hamidul Haque Chowdhury, Chairman of the Ukhiya Upazila Parishad spoke as the chief guest.  Imam of Nowzowan demanded that in respect of joint need assessment local organizations should also be involved.  Neelema Akter Chowdhury of Agrajatra said that, government contribution should be recognized in joint response management, as the government has already made $400 million investment in Bashanchar. Nazrul of BAPA (Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan) stated that there is a lot of plastic and other waste in the Rohingya camp, and NGOs should be creative in this regard to innovate alternatives.  Surface water should be preserved and used, while groundwater extraction should be stopped now, he said. He also suggested  treatment of  Naf river's water for use. Agrajatra's Helal advised all concerned to buy dried fish and salt from local producers to distribute in the camps.  Mukti Cox’s Bazar's Lutful Kabir Chowdhury repeated the Grand Bargain's call to channel 25% of funds through local and national NGOs. Abu Morshed Chowdhury of PHALS urged that the joint response plan should be a live document so that local organizations will have space to participate at any time, sectors should be reorganized so that local organizations will have leadership.  Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST demanded partnership policies from international actors aiming toward sustainable local civil society building in Cox’s Bazar, the partnership policy should be practiced in a transparent manner without conflict of interest. Local NGOs should be informed, of their weakness while they have not selected as a partner, he said. Read: Fortify Rights wins Anthem Award for Rohingya photography project Hamidul Haque Chowdhury, the Chairman of Ukhiya Upazila Parishad demanded that all humanitarian agencies must take the participation of local government leaders during project preparation to implementation. He expressed concern about the increasing number of termination of locals from the jobs by humanitarian agencies.

Speakers at a seminar here have called for making a legal framework for engagement of the civil society in implementation of development projects. The seminar was participated by lawmakers, civil society organizations and experts who observed that government’s top-down planning strategy hinders civil society engagement. They said sustainable development would hardly be achieved through existing development planning and implementation paradigm. The seminar was jointly organized by a network of COAST  Foundation, Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL) in  a city hotel on Wednesday. Read: Development projects must not harm environment: Hasina Asheq Ullah Rafiq MP Cox's Bazar-2  spoke as the chief guest. It was moderated by Rezaul  Karim Chowdhury from COAST and Ziaul Hoque Mukta of CSRL, where Sayeda Rubina Akter, MP, Women  Seat 28, and Gloria Jharna Sarker, MP, Women Seat 30 participated as special guests. Dr. Rezaul Houqe Management Director –BCCT, (Bangladesh Climate Change Trust],  Md. Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive, CPRD, Md. Masum , CDP, Md. Bazlur Rahaman, BNNRC, Mr. Nikhil Chandra Vadra, Coastal Protection Movement, Aminur Rasul Babul also spoke. The key note was presented by Syed Aminul Hoque of COAST. Aminul said that the government has been giving thousands of development projects every year but those are unable to ensue effective monitoring by Internal Monitoring & Evaluation Division. Read: Maintain standards in development project works: LGRD Minister He proposed two major changes on this issue.  A legal framework through parliamentary process to make obligatory for all ministries and development authorities to engage civil society while they develop and implement their project, Asheq Ullah Rafiq MP said that the civil society is the fourth eye of any country that aware government on any irregularities, ensure accountability and transparency. We should strengthen this stake with proper law and regulatory framework, he said. Dr. Rezaul Hoque opined that there are lot of challenges to be face in integrating civil society with project implementation monitoring. But this initiative is very good and prospect in future we have to work more on this issue, he added.

Bangladesh and the United Kingdom have agreed on the importance of "free and fair elections" and vibrant civil society to promote accountable governance and institutions ensuring freedom of expression and religion. The UK raised concerns reflected in the FCDO Annual Human Rights Report, including the “impact” of the Digital Security Act, political space, and extrajudicial killings, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Friday. The two countries held their fourth annual Strategic Dialogue on Thursday at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London and discussed the issues. The dialogue was led by FCDO Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Philip Barton and Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary) Masud Bin Momen. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCDO Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, welcomed Ambassador Momen to the UK. Lord Ahmad said they spoke about the strong links between the UK and Bangladesh. "We’re both committed to tackling climate change and looking for future opportunities to strengthen trade between our countries," he said. The UK commended Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingyas who, in August 2017, fled atrocities by the Myanmar military. The UK and Bangladesh reiterated their commitment to the goal of enabling the Rohingya to return home in a safe, voluntary and dignified way as soon as the situation allows.  The UK stressed the need to focus on the Rohingyas’ wellbeing, and noted that access to education and livelihoods would help prepare the Rohingya for eventual return to Myanmar and to live dignified lives while in Bangladesh. Both countries committed to working with the international community, including Asean and the UN, to resolve the crisis. The two countries expressed their deepest condolences to those who had lost loved ones during the pandemic. The UK congratulated Bangladesh on its nationwide vaccination campaign including through COVAX vaccines.   Read: Indo-Pacific: UK sees Bangladesh as "critical stability provider"