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Poverty Prevents Human Rights Realisation

by Del war Zahid
HUMAN rights activities are not new In Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) was founded in 1977 as an activist organisation especially to promote the administration of justice, the rule of law and to secure legal guarantees for basic human rights in Bangladesh. Its programme was initiated to educate the members of the society, to spread legal literacy education and knowledge, to offer legal aid and advice to the poor, to investigate issues relating to human rights violations etc.
BSEHR sometimes studied law covering rights of those likely to be subjected to torture. Labourers, women, children and rural poor families and slum dwellers arc facing
most of which arc Illegal within the existing legal framework of the land. Because of their Ignorance, financial inability and lack of social awareness and support they cannot protect themselves.
Many organisations in Bangladesh are working in the field of human rights, for giving legal support to the victims. But no organisation in particular is looking at poverty as the main cause of Inequality and obstacle in realisation of their rights and freedom.
Concentration of poverty in the rural areas may be removed gradually through framing of self reliance projects and using local resources. Rural people are most often illiterate and have little professional training. The overall economic condition of an in-
less and women, in rich and poor countries alike, deteriorated dramatically giving rise to a phenomenon that has been called the feminization of poverty.
An important study in the field of human rights and development is being carried out by the Bangladesh Foundation of Human Rights (BFHR). Comilla. The experiment has far reaching implications for the human rights and development strategies to be designed for Comilla. The exper iment centres round the debate on whether class-indc-pendent group formations, involving the landless and distressed women, or most of the inhabitants of the villages, arc suitable as the institution for human rights and development
In Bangladesh. One school holds that in class-independent societies, the rich will exploit the facilities to frustrate the systems oHglnally designed for the poor.
Rural poor has been identified on the basis of income. BFHR is aware of the fact that the rural poor do not'keep records of their Incomes and they are not aware about their rights and privileges.
For the prevention of discrimination In the society the NGOs working in the field of human rights should emphasis the need for effective co-ordination of their work on realisation of grassroots participation in human rights activities. The raising of poverty level Is yet an unanswered ’question in
our country’. Without economic e-mancipation. establishment of human rights will remain a dream. After independence of Bangladesh, economic well being has been achieved for many ,but poverty remains unresolved. Democratic politics of liberty, equality and fraternity can well Imply mass movement for human rights. Inequality of opportunities and maldistribution of facilities are the popular grievances for that struggle towards emancipation.
Equality in the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms Is the vita) issue of the world. The United Nations charter promotes and cncour ages respect for human rights, on equality of rights and prevention of discrimination. Article-1 of the charter reads : "All human beings arc born
free and equal In dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and
-WL joward* one Another in q spirit of brotherhood” while Article -2 states : "Everyone is entitled to al) the rights and freedom set forth in this declaration without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion. political or other opinion, national or social origin, property birth or other status."
To establish human rights at the grassroots, our first duty is to do our best lo solve the problem by addressing the causes of poverty of the teeming masses.
PRINCIPAL DELWAR ZAI III) is a I Iuhkui Rights activist.