Our major goal is to strengthen and enforce the human and legal rights in Bangladesh.
1. Free legal aid services
BHRB provides free legal aid and services to the poor, exploited, oppressed and those deprived of human rights, as well as addresses to issues related to family law, basic law, rape, exploitation, sexual harassment, etc. We firmly stand against discrimination against women and assist them in whichever way possible within our limitations. Individuals who are unable to afford a lawyer or are unsure of what to do may approach us for assistance. BHRB has also been conducting class action suits and public interest litigations for improving the social life of people all over the country.
2. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) Mediation
Mediation (“Shalish” in Bengali) is an indigenous method of dispute resolution prevailing in the rural areas of Bangladesh for centuries. The vast majority of people are poor and cannot afford going to the court for justice. Due to this perspective and the socioeconomic condition, BHRB has taken up mediation project with a view to provide legal assistance to the disadvantaged people. Our organization provides a wide variety of options to choose from for the ones coming for aid and assistance related to the subject matter, which otherwise would not have been possible if they went to court to settle this dispute. The determination and enthusiasm, along with deep observation by our mediators to resolve the dispute is something which is not practiced or carried out in courts. BHRB, by the virtue of untiring endeavors of its workers/activists, has become successful in innovating a dynamic and mass-oriented mediation model within the form of reforming laws prevailing in the country. The mediation model of BHRB, which is institutionalized as a busy and alternative process of dispute resolution has been highly applauded by many.
3. Internship on human rights activities
The objective of the internship program is to disseminate the concept of human rights throughout the country by educating the legal aid workers and human rights activists. Potential lawyers, law students of universities and colleges, journalists, GO and NGO workers, human rights and legal aid activists, etc. are the beneficiaries of this program.
4. Training Services
BHRB, through their experience, realized the fact that mass awareness at the grass root level on human rights issues is needed in order to bring a holistic change in the attitude of the people, which can further contribute to the democratic progress of this country. Extensive training program helps the workforce to exchange ideas and experiences and gather knowledge about various issues. Considering these needs, BHRB looks forward to render training services to its workers, staff members, beneficiaries, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists, law enforcing agents and other GOs and NGOs dealing with the issues relating to the civil, economic, social, political, cultural and legal rights of everyone in the society, so that they can in turn train and motivate their fellow people.
5. Students and youth motivational program on Human Rights:
BHRB believes that in the context of recent times of Bangladesh, engaging students and youth in human rights activities will have significant implications in our society. Through this, we not only would target towards reaching the immediate aims and objectives of human rights, but also expect to create the morals and ethics in the students and youth concerned, so that they may expect a better tomorrow of their own.
6. Seminar/Symposium
7. Production of TV spots
BHRB produces TV spots on different human rights violation issues like cruelty to and trafficking of women and children, terrorism and torture, environment and sound pollution, CSR violation social irregularities and injustice, drug addiction and its adverse effects etc., the target group being people from all walks of life at large.
8. Collection and publishing of human rights violations and law & order situational reports of the country.
Our research and documentation wing collects the law & order situational reports from multiple sources including BHRB archive, distributes them in different print and electronic media throughout the nation, and publishes it in monthly, quarterly, half yearly and annually with feedback and recommendation for the concerned authorities. especially those related to planning and decision making, judiciary, press, and those involved in implementation of action plans with the human rights movement. Virtually, BHRB is developing a network of agents from different professions so
that they may act for strengthening the human and legal rights in Bangladesh by involving more people and taking action
plans through various activities
9. Jail visit, activities on under trial prisoners, victim of circumstance and support long term prisoners without trial.
The organization assists prisoners who need legal assistance for their release, especially those without trials for a long time and also the ones convicted or under trial for crimes they did not commit. BHRB takes every step for the juvenile delinquents so that they are not kept with other adult prisoners but find themselves in free and fair surrounding.
10. Creating social deterrent & appropriate steps against disappearance and extra judicial killings
Often some people caught in law enforcement raids were reported to have disappeared or to have been killed in friendly combat or crossfire. Later, people from various professions, including people from the civil society, became vocal against it and various organizations, including the family members of the consumers, started organizing human chains, press briefings and other programs to create public opinion against it. BHRB has never supported the indiscriminate killing of people or extra-judicial killings and therefore is playing an important role in this regard by creating social public opinion, awareness and taking other appropriate measures against it.
11. Research and Documentation
This segment of BHRB mainly conducts research, and is responsible for collecting data and carrying out surveys in order to find out the root causes of and prevention methods to stop the gross human rights violations in Bangladesh, as well as reduce the crime rate. Research is undertaken on issues relating to legal provisions and custodial procedures, safeguards of juveniles in prison, judicial intervention and custodial justice of women prisoners, roles of police, use of bail, arrest and remand procedures, police torture in and out of custody, etc.
12. Publication
This segment of BHRB mainly conducts research, and is responsible for collecting data and carrying out surveys in order to find out the root causes of and prevention methods to stop the gross human rights violations in Bangladesh, as well as reduce the crime rate. Research is undertaken on issues relating to legal provisions and custodial procedures, safeguards of juveniles in prison, judicial intervention and custodial justice of women prisoners, roles of police, use of bail, arrest and remand procedures, police torture in and out of custody, etc.
13. Yearly Human Rights Award giving ceremony to the highly reputed group/person for their outstanding performance in the field human rights, peace keeping, good governance and social justice, social services and charity activates etc.
Every year on the occasion of World Human Rights Day and Great Victory Day of Bangladesh, BHRB awards human rights awards to several institutions and individuals of the country for their unique human rights activities, social awareness creation, peace efforts, good governance and social justice and service activities. It is the opinion of all concerned that the motivation and tendency to do these good deeds increases among the people of various professions of the society.
14. Participation in electronics & social media for creating social deterrent and pin pointing the problems in order to resolve them
Founder and Secretary General of BHRB Dr. Md. Shahjahan along with the members of the advisory council, members of the board of directors and leaders of its different committees who often participate in various electronic and social medias through discussions on contemporary ongoing problems and other issues, highlighting social awareness and sound judgment on related issues, taking necessary measures in this regard. In some cases, in the event of law and order deterioration, they play an important role in preventing its recurrence.
15. Steps for rehabilitating the drug victims and work for a drug free society
Founder and Secretary General of BHRB Dr. Md. Shahjahan along with the members of the advisory council, members of the board of directors and leaders of its different committees who often participate in various electronic and social medias through discussions on contemporary ongoing problems and other issues, highlighting social awareness and sound judgment on related issues, taking necessary measures in this regard. In some cases, in the event of law and order deterioration, they play an important role in preventing its recurrence.
16. Free Health Campaign for the helpless poor people
BHRB and Dr. Md. Shahjahan Foundation, along with compassionate and humanitarian specialist doctors associated with both the organizations, often jointly helps the helpless and poor people in remote rural areas who cannot afford to go to doctors in and nearby the capital city Dhaka, by providing various types of free health checkups and freeDrug distribution activities. With the intention to make this program more dynamic and accelerated, Dr. Md. Shahjahan Foundation and BHRB are jointly expressing their conviction to spread these types of services more widely among the poor people in remote areas by creating mobile hospitals or converting a large vehicle into a mobile hospital.
17. Steps for resisting women, child and human trafficking
Trafficking in women, children, and human beings was once rampant in the country (although we can’t totally say that it isn’t now anymore). BHRB founder and secretary general advocate Dr. Md. Shahjahan once upon a time (from 1990-1995) on the only TV channel BTV, presented a law and human rights program called “Drishtikon”, which was widely popular and enjoyed by many people. He discussed various social problems, injustice and torture, human rights violations, injustice, terrible human rights violations, mass campaigns against acid terrorism, women and children and human trafficking and torture on the TV program, which created quite a few public opinion home and abroad. He even covered issues such as children trafficked from Bangladesh who were used as camels in the Middle East, young women who were trafficked and sold to brothels in India and other countries, old women and men sold as permanent slaves in brick factories in Pakistan, and many more harmful aspects of human trafficking such as the sale of various human body parts. Those oppressed human beings were even put in a drum of acid for the sake of their skeleton.In addition, it has been possible to bring about massive qualitative changes in the development of law and order situation by highlighting the latest crimes of various terrorists and criminal gangs in the country. On the other hand, by the advice of Dr. Md. Shahjahan, the method of introducing the use of robots instead of human babies in camel jockeys was started. In addition, due to the prevention of human trafficking including young women in various countries including India and Pakistan, the quota was almost zero. Md. Shahjahan was awarded many national and international honors at home and abroad. Later, BHRB has been able to play a major role in preventing these activities through new and new programs in an institutional manner to speed up these activities.
18. Steps against cruelty on women and child and domestic violence
The level of violence against women and children in the country is increasing day by day along with the tendency to kill after rape. The rate of family violence and the level of violence against domestic workers for trivial reasons is also increasing. Md. Shahjahan and BHRB have carried out extensive campaigns, protests and resistance against these things both personally and institutionally, and in many cases have helped the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to bring the criminals under the law. And due to the development of social awareness, these crimes are gradually declining.
19. Developing and encouraging employment of women and those unemployed through income generation
19. The objective of this project is to provide assistance to the underprivileged group, helping them to develop themselves in society. Presently, BHRB has taken a project in Dhaka city.
20. Monitoring of national Election and by-election
20. BHRB is monitoring the national election and by-election with the publishing of observation reports containing findings and recommendations. This monitoring is a part of the campaign for free and fair conduct of the electoral process to ensure voters’ rights. Recently, BHRB has brought out its recommendations and guidelines for a free, fair and neutral national election in Bangladesh.
21. Showing solidarity with the victims or sufferer groups for strengthening their rights and rational causes
Sometimes, the individuals or families affected by the violation of human rights attempt to get Justice through different methods, but fails. In such scenarios, they sit in different places to demonstrate their issues collectively in front of the National Press Club or in front of the relevant authority’s office, hoping that BHRB Secretary General or someone at that level declares solidarity with their demands. We take the matter into consideration and express solidarity with the demands of the concerned parties. As a result, these problems are seen to be solved in most cases.
22. Demonstration and Human Chain to work as pressure group for the concern authority
In the cases where social problems and important issues or any problem for the general public which is supposed to be solved naturally but is not, BHRB acts as a medium to solve these problems either alone or with some other organizations through human chain or protest program.
24. Blood donation activates and campaign
Blood donation is a very humanitarian, social as well as religiously important program. There is no comparison with saving human life. With this in mind, BHRB has created a BHRB Blood Donation Group of around hundred members with the students of various educational institutions and the youth community of social organizations, especially those who are not involved in any kind of addiction or even smoking, and who have good character and morals. They come forward for blood donation program during national calamities as well as when blood donations are needed.
Advocacy on important national issues
BHRB does advocacy and lobbing on important national issues like voter rights, citizen rights, public interest litigation and so on as and when necessary. Nelson Mandela was quoted as saying that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, and this can be directly applied to the importance of advocacy in society. Most people are unaware of their rights and privileges they are supposed to have. Around the world, advocacy efforts can help shed light and educate a large group of people on such issues. Advocacy is always a learning process that can help equip people with the skills they need to defend and protect their rights.
26. Inter-religion peace & harmony program with interfaith dialogue
BHRB organizes interfaith peace and harmony conferences and interfaith dialogues time to time in order to maintain sincerity and cordial atmosphere among the people of different religions, so that they have a liberal mindset and are free from religious prejudices, and that everyone shows respect and sympathy towards their own religion as well as other religions. Moreover, our goal is that even if there is a danger of communal incitement or loss of harmony anywhere in the world, it should not have any effect on Bangladesh. At the same time, the founder and secretary general of the organization Dr. Md. Shahjahan often speaks on peace, human rights and inter-religious tolerance in various international gatherings in different countries of the world.
27. Addressing public interest litigations (PIL)
There are many important and public interest related issues in the country which are not brought to the attention of proper authorities or are avoided, but solving them is vital for public interest. BHRB brings all these matters to the notice of concerned authorities, and in many cases, issues Demand of Justice Notice seeking appropriate remedies. But even after this the issues are not resolved, then BHRB has to bring all this issues to the knowledge of honorable court seeking the intervention of the court in order to solve the issues related to public interestlitigations
28. Movement for health hazards, safe food and environmental issues
There are many serious public health risks that go unnoticed or avoided by the appropriate authorities, such as the dumping of contaminated wastes in various hospitals and clinics. The toxic waste of various factories and mills, including acid-mixed water and harmful paint or gas, are released into canals, rivers and drains, and in many cases, the polluted fumes of these are released into the open air and have adverse effects on the people’s lives, food crops, plants and the environment. Numerous unscrupulous businessmen put different kinds of chemicals and adulterants in almost all kinds of food products including fruits, roots,vegetables to earn unethical and illegal profit, putting lives under mortal threat. BHRB takes various initiatives to ensure safe health, food and environment in regards with these activities, which helps the concerned authorities in their operations.
29. Fact-findings and investigations
29. BHRB investigates issues relating to gross human rights violations which occur every day throughout the country, and suggests remedies to the concerned authorities with immediate redress for those human rights abuses. BHRB gives priority to issues like violence against women and children, discrimination against minorities, police torture and death in police custody, and human rights violation by political big guns and publishes the findings and reports in the media, arranging press conferences if necessary for pressing the matter with the authorities. BHRB also circulates these reports to the concerned authorities. The fact-finding & investigation of BHRB is creating a social deterrent and compelling human rights violators to realize the fact that they are not unchallenged. The BHRB investigation team plays a prime role in the restoration, implementation and preservation of human rights throughout the country with courage and confidence.
30. Press briefing
Press briefing is carried out on the basis of the findings of gross human rights violations and advocacy on the important sensitive national issues relating to human rights, democracy and election process so that public opinion may reach and concern the authorities, making them cautious so that they take necessary action.
