The dream of a developed Bangladesh by 2041 cannot be realized if inequality in wealth and rising consumption are not addressed, the economist Debapriya Bhattacharya has warned.
In many countries in South America, increasing wealth inequality has slowed growth. Against such a backdrop, the government should work to eliminate discrimination for the benefit of all citizens, he added.
He was speaking at the “Dialogue on the Progress Review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 2022”, organized at BRAC Inn in the capital's Mohakhali on Wednesday.
To establish equal rights and ensure human dignity, the Bangladesh government recently introduced the Anti-Discrimination Bill 2022 in parliament. The dialogue on the bill was organized by Manusher Jonno Foundation, Nagorik Udyog, Dhaka International University (DIU), and the Bangladesh Legal Aid And Services Trust (BLAST).
Debapriya Bhattacharya praised the role of civil society in making the anti-discrimination law an example for the future.
He said: “Values should also be established within the state structure, and not only through social movements. The list of discriminatory acts in the law needs to be expanded and comprehensive. The draft law submitted by civil society was well drafted.”
Referring to the current political situation, Debapriya Bhattacharya said: "The last window of opportunity for the current government to implement its election promises is ongoing. Political conflict may hamper the formulation of the act. Therefore, the law should be formulated and implemented as soon as possible.”
Speakers participating in the dialogue said that although the proposed anti-discrimination law clearly states that no one can be discriminated against directly or indirectly in any context, a few points require a more precise explanation in the bill.
Besides, they called for the use of the term “abolition of discrimination” instead of “anti-discrimination.”
Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam conducted the discussion while Barrister Sara Hossain, Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary, reserved seat lawmaker Khodeza Nasreen Akhter Hossain, Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum's Sanjeeb Drong, and representatives of the hijra community, sex workers, and several minority groups participated in the discussion.