NCJ Number
219636
Date Published
November 2006
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Bangladesh criminal justice system in terms of how it complies with the United Nations declaration of basic principles of justice for victims of crime and the abuse of power.
Abstract
While there is no denying that abuses of power in Bangladesh do occur at times, this country is considered to have one of the most sound constitutions in the world because it contains almost all the provisions of the Universal Human Rights Declaration. As such, there are sufficient provisions in place to protect citizens from becoming victims of crime and abuses of power. However, while effective legal and penal measures have been in place to punish offenders, it was not until the turn of the century that were was a law in place to protect the interests of victims of crime. The author outlines the statutes containing provisions for the compensation and restitution to the victims of crime in Bangladesh followed by a discussion of the victim’s role in the criminal justice process. The Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 provides for the participation of the victim in the criminal proceedings while provisions for recovery of loss or compensation from offenders have been incorporated into the Act for Suppression of Cruelty to Women and Children, 2000; the Control of Acid Act, 20002; and the Acid Offense Act, 2002. The legal system also allows for victims of crime to be informed about the results of an investigation and can request further investigation if dissatisfied. Victims also have the right to attend every stage of the trial, however, Bangladesh trails behind in respect to the participation of victims in criminal justice compared to the standard set by the United Nations resolution. Footnotes