Human Rights in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of ICCPR and ICESCR Obligations and State Practices

Abstract

A comprehensive review of available data—ranging from academic journals and books to reports by rights watchdogs such as Odhikar, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch—reveals a singular, recurring theme: violation. In a democratic framework, human rights abuses typically occur when state machinery becomes overly centralized, sidelining the citizenry. Contemporary Bangladesh exemplifies this centralization, effectively shifting from a "People’s Republic" to a governance model centered solely around the executive, a transition that has precipitated a human rights crisis. The spectrum of violations is broad, encompassing the suppression of voting rights, curtailment of free speech, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and targeted attacks on minorities and political opponents. While human rights theoretics include social, health, economic, and cultural entitlements, the impoverished demographic in Bangladesh is systematically denied these necessities. The state and its institutions have paradoxically become the very wellsprings of inequality, corruption, and lethal violence. Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) has noted that the alarming human rights trend observed in previous years has persisted without abatement. This reality stands in stark contrast to the Constitution of Bangladesh, which theoretically guarantees major international rights and good governance. Despite ratifying core instruments like the UN Charter, the ICCPR, and the ICESCR, the state’s actual performance creates a paradoxical legal landscape. This paper evaluates this disconnect, measuring Bangladesh’s treaty obligations against the ground reality.