Generally, Bangladesh does not appear to receive as much
attention as its neighboring countries such as India, Nepal, and Burma. Maybe because it is not as much a
travel destination as the other countries or because it is still a relatively
new state created in 1971, although the Bengali people date back thousands of
years. Whatever the reasons, it
deserves more attention both positive and negative. Bangladesh is a dynamic place. It is among the top ten most
populated states with a population of 170 million people in a country the size
of New York State. The capital, Dhaka, is one of the most densely populated
cities with hundreds of thousands of bike rickshaws, getting paid about a dime
a kilometer, clogging up the streets along with the three wheeled taxis, cars,
and seventeen million people. Although
I lived in Hong Kong for many years, it was still a bit of an adjustment
getting used to the environment in Dhaka, which included two to three hour
commutes to work for a drive that should take twenty minutes. During those long
commutes, my foreign colleagues and I would complain about the traffic, a
severe source of distress for the locals, and speculate on curious issues such
as why people don’t seem to walk in Bangladesh, was it because the rickshaws
were so cheap or because there are no sidewalks to walk on or just a cultural
thing.
Recently, Bangladesh is probably most well known because of
one of the worst industrial disasters in the garment industry - the tragic
collapse of Rana Plaza that killed over 1,000 garment workers and injured many
more. As I have an interest in business and human rights, it drew me to Bangladesh
because it is the second largest exporter of ready made garments at China and
has poor working conditions not only exemplified by Rana Plaza but other
collapses and fires dating back many years. But it was not only that issue
which drew me to Bangladesh, I wanted to discover a country that does not
receive as much attention beyond the negative headlines.
What I found were people working hard to make their country
that is one of the poorest outside of sub-Saharan Africa a better place in face
of an environment of impunity and struggle. The organization I worked with is
one of the leading legal aid organizations in Bangladesh. Headed by a dynamic
and eloquent leader and dedicated staff, the organization has many projects and
services to help a wide range of people, including females, workers, prisoners,
the poor, and minorities. The
organization has also filed many public interest litigation cases to hold the
government and other responsible parties accountable for their actions on many
different issues.
In the case of Rana Plaza, the organization filed a writ
petition before the Supreme Court asking for an investigation and prosecution
of those responsible, and helped victims file claims for compensation. I
interviewed different stakeholders to understand what justice would entail in
response to a disaster like Rana Plaza.
Especially for the workers, it was about dignity, being treated like a
human being rather than an expendable commodity. All too often, especially in a nation with such a big and
overcrowded population, the lives of people, usually the poor and marginalized
are devalued. The law only requires the payment of a little over USD1,200 to
the family of victims of work related deaths. Why should their lives be valued
less than others? Accountability
of those responsible was also important to the victims and other stakeholders
such as labour lawyers and trade union activists. But the close ties between the garment industry and
government hinders accountability. Also when the government itself has failed
to execute its role of regulation and enforcement, accountability is even more
illusory. There are improvements, however, as the building owner of Rana Plaza
and others have been arrested. But with such worldwide attention, the
government probably had little choice. But up to this point no one in the past
few decades has been convicted for work related disasters, even though more
than five thousand workers have died in the past decade in the garment
industry.
Being in Bangladesh, an Islamic country, was also eye
opening from a gender perspective.
As my fellow female foreign colleagues would point out they felt at
times uncomfortable because of what they had to wear and the stares and
attitudes of men. I often would
notice that when meeting men they would only shake my hand and not those of my
female colleagues. Not only did
those gender difference manifest socially, personal laws also favor males especially
when it comes to marriage and inheritances.
I very much valued my experience working and living in
Bangladesh as it helped me understand and learn a bit more on how to work in an
environment that is very different, where the formal legal system often may not
work and cultural differences may require navigating a different approach to
advocacy and work. What will
always remain with me is the hard work of my local colleagues and their energy
and integrity to continue working in such a challenging environment.
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