Bangladesh: Information on whether a military officer or retired military officer would have recourse under law to legal counsel from an initial preliminary inquiry to a court martial, and on whether a former military officer can be compelled to testify for the current government against the former Ershad government
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGD23649.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bangladesh: Information on whether a military officer or retired military officer would have recourse under law to legal counsel from an initial preliminary inquiry to a court martial, and on whether a former military officer can be compelled to testify for the current government against the former Ershad government, 1 May 1996, BGD23649.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aadd63.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on this specific subject could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. The following information may be of general interest, however.
According to Country Reports 1995,
Trials are public. The law provides the accused with the right to be represented by counsel, to review accusatory material, to call witnesses, and to appeal verdicts. In practice, the largely rural illiterate population does not always understand these rights, nor do the authorities always respect them. ... State-funded defense attorneys are provided in only a limited number of cases, and there are few legal aid programs to offer financial assistance (1996, 1296).
The attachment from the Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS) of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides general information on the legal system in Bangladesh.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995. 1996. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Attachment
Refugees, Immigration and Asylum Section (RIAS), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia. July 1994. Country Profile: Bangladesh. Parkes, ACT: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, p. 9.
Additional Sources Consulted
Bangladesh. 1992. The Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 44, 1992. (Official translation from Bengali to English by the Translation Service, Multilingual Translation Directorate, Public Works and Government Services Canada)
Bangladesh Manobadhikar Samonnoy Parishad (BMSP)/Coordinating Council for Human Rights in Bangladesh, Dhaka. 1995. State of Human Rights in Bangladesh 1994.
Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. April 1996. Contextual Information Package: Bangladesh.
_____. April 1996. Human Rights Information Package: Bangladesh.
_____. January 1989. Information Package: Bangladesh.
_____. "Legislation: Bangladesh" country file.
Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1992.
High Commission for the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Ottawa.
Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook 1995. 1995. Edited by Peter Baehr et al. Steinar Askvik. "Bangladesh."
International Service Group (ISG), Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Hull. Infrequent reports. 1995 to present.
Price, J.D., Susan Y. 1990. "The Legal System of Bangladesh," Modern Legal Systems Cycopedia. Vol. 9. Rev. ed.
Tepper, Elliot L. March 1995. Bangladesh in Human Rights Perspective.
World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Penal Systems. 1989.
