On 25 March 2024, with the support of the CCIG and the FMSI, local civil society actors delivered an oral statement on the occasion of the adoption of UPR outcomes of Bangladesh, under item 6 of the 55th Human Rights Council session.

The statement welcomed the acceptance by Bangladesh of several UPR recommendations. However, with regard to corporal punishment, grassroot actors expressed concern that the Children Act 2013 does not include any explicit provision prohibiting corporal punishment in schools and the number of cases reported in families is very high as well. It was, therefore, recommended to enhance existing legislation and its implementation to eradicate corporal punishment in all settings.

Concerning child labour and education, the situation of children working in the tea gardens remains dramatic: 29.8 per cent of children aged 5-17 are involved in child labour in Habiganj, 15.6 per cent in Moulvibazar and 19.3 per cent in Sylhet. It was recommended to Bangladesh to ensure that child labour, even when legal, does not prevent children from going to school.

Concerning forced child marriages, it was reterated the need to reformulate the Child Marriage Restrain Act, since data show that about 59% of women in the country aged 20–24 years were married before the age of 18 years. Local civil society actors recommended to ensure that birth registration is mandatory especially in the tea gardens in order to prevent deceitful manipulations of the age of children as a measure to fight against child marriages.

The video of the oral statement is available here.

To watch the whole discussion on the UPR outcomes of Bangladesh at the 55th HRC, please click here.