Media Bangladesh

Recent reports indicated that domestic violence was widespread. However, violence against women was difficult to quantify because of unreliable statistics. A report released by the U.N. Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) in September 2000 asserted that 47 percent of adult women reported physical abuse by their male partner. The Government, the media, and women's rights organizations fostered a growing awareness of the problem of violence against women. Much of the violence against women was related to disputes over dowries. According to the report of a human rights group, there were 190 dowry-related killings during the year. In addition to the killings, 28 women committed suicide, 1 attempted suicide, 90 underwent physical torture, 14 others were victims of acid attacks, at least 1 was divorced by her husband, and 2 were driven out of their husbands' houses following disputes over dowries during the same period. ... [Read More]

Youth Exchanges - Citizen Exchanges - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

*Requires the free software 1 Windows Media Player to view video files. ...

Windows Media Broadband* | Dial Up* ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

Due to the judicial system's million-case backlog, the Ministry of Law in 2001 initiated a pilot program offering Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in some civil cases. Citizens have the opportunity for their cases to be mediated by persons with a background in law before filing their cases. According to government sources, wider use of mediation in civil cases has quickened the administration of justice. In February, the Government approved draft legislation, and in July, Parliament codified the use of ADR and extended its use to Sylhet and Chittagong. ... [Read More]

Docs 373-437

Bangladesh, December 1971-December 1972  Introductory Note [Read More]

Bangladesh

Due to the increased attacks on Ahmadis, the U.S. Government made religious freedom a central point of discussion in most meetings with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Law Minister, the Home Minister, and several other ministers beginning in December 2003. The Embassy expressed its views on this matter to the media and public forums related to democracy and governance. In February the Ambassador was the ranking guest at a religious freedom conference organized by a national human rights group. ... [Read More]

Bangladesh

In July, Parliament codified the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and extended its use to Sylhet and Chittagong. ADR allows citizens to have the opportunity to present their cases before filing for mediation. According to government sources, wider use of mediation in civil cases has quickened the administration of justice. ...

The Government frequently used Sections 54 and 86 to harass and intimidate members of the political opposition and their families. Police sometimes detained opposition activists prior to and during demonstrations without citing any legal authority, holding them until the event was over. On April 18, police conducted a mass arrest drive to undermine the AL's efforts to unseat the Government. Police arrested over 10,000 persons in reaction to the AL's campaign to unseat the Government. According to media reports, courts handed down some short prison sentences without giving the detainees the opportunity to defend themselves, but most were eventually released. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]

United States Signs Science and Technology Agreement with Bangladesh

Media Note ... [Read More]

Bangladesh (06/05)

In March 1994, controversy over a parliamentary by-election, which the opposition claimed the government had rigged, led to an indefinite boycott of Parliament by the entire opposition. The opposition also began a program of repeated general strikes to press its demand that Khaleda Zia's government resign and a caretaker government supervise a general election. Efforts to mediate the dispute, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat, failed. After another attempt at a negotiated settlement failed narrowly in late December 1994, the opposition resigned en masse from Parliament. The opposition then continued a campaign of marches, demonstrations, and strikes in an effort to force the government to resign. The opposition, including the Awami League's Sheikh Hasina, pledged to boycott national elections scheduled for February 15, 1996. ... [Read More]

Bureau of South Asian Affairs

The Co-Chairs, founded in June 2003, consists of four members: European Union, Japan, Norway, and the United States. The group meets periodically to coordinate efforts to fulfill its responsibility under the Tokyo Declaration of 2003 to monitor reconstruction assistance to Sri Lanka and the peace process. [ media note] ... [Read More]