'Enforce law to end gender discrimination'

They also identified political interference as a major obstacle to the enforcement of laws.

"Gender violence is often socially tolerated in silence," said expert on CEDAW Barrister Pramila Patten at the conference jointly organised by the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) and International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).

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The conference was held at the CIRDAP auditorium on Sunday on the occasion of three-member ICJ team's mission to Bangladesh.

"Acid throwing and all forms of domestic violence are two major and most despicable forms of violence against women in Bangladesh," Patten said, adding that gender violence demands a prominent space on the human rights agenda.

Zarizana Abdul Aziz, another member of the mission and expert on the gender injustice and Islam, said, "The existing laws must be enforced effectively to prevent gender injustice and domestic violence against women."

But mere legislation cannot stop violence, she said. "We have to change the people's mindset and perception and break myths."

Underscoring the need for a law to institute a human rights commission, Abdul Mannan MP said, "Human rights are violated every now and then in the country."

"To emancipate the women in true sense, we must educate them recognising their social and economic rights, and civil and political liberties," he added.

GM Kader MP said, "We have so many laws but not the rule of law. Political interference is the major obstacle to the enforcement of existing laws which stipulates gender equality and human rights."

Ravinder Joshi, another member of the team, said the ICJ is an organisation of judges, lawyers, and legal professionals and it has a network in about 80 countries to uphold the rule of law and human rights.

The conference was presided over by the BHRC Chairman Justice AKM Sadeq.