Law Commission Chairman and former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque yesterday said they would send the draft of the anti-discrimination law to the government within two weeks.
“Three years have already passed since the start of the project and if we take more time to send the draft, people facing discrimination will suffer more,” he said at a view-exchange meeting on preparing recommendations for enacting law against discrimination. The meeting was held at the Judicial Administration Training Institution in the capital.
Draft of the law says the 1973 High Court rules shall not be applicable to appeals concerning discrimination. Khairul said the suggestion was made in the draft to ensure rapid disposal of such appeals.
The law commission chairman said around nine lakh cases were still pending in magistrate courts due to High Court stay orders. He urged the incumbent chief justice to issue directives to the benches concerned in this regard so that backlog of cases could be reduced.
Addressing the law minister and the incumbent chief justice, Khairul said they should ensure that judges were promoted on the basis of merit and accomplishment. He urged Shahnaz Huda, chairman of the department of law at Dhaka University, to increase number of seats in the department, saying the country needs more judges and jurists.
At the meeting, Law Minister Anisul Haque said more discussions were needed before enactment of the law against discrimination. “People have to be made aware of the issue through workshops and seminars so that they abide by the law. Otherwise it’s not possible to enforce the law.”
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Professor Mizanur Rahman said he would continue his criticism of the issue of discrimination for the sake of the fundamental rights of people even if went against the government or any minister. He said he had no intention to do politics or to contest election.
“Although it’s not possible to acknowledge LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) people in the anti-discrimination law at present, provision has to be included in it so that these people don’t face discrimination,” he said.
The NHRC chief also raised his voice against eviction of inhabitants of a sweeper colony beside Mitford Hospital, saying alternative living arrangements for them should be ensured.