A two-day conference on “50 years of Bangladesh: Comparative Constitutionalism, Human Rights and Gender Equality” was held to celebrate 50 years of the independence of Bangladesh.

The Department of Law and Human Rights, University of Asia Pacific (UAP), The Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) jointly organized this conference held between 10- 11 December, reads a press release. 

The aim of the conference was to provide a forum for early career researchers, scholars, and PhD students of law, history, anthropology, sociology, human rights and other relevant disciplines to present their original and unpublished research on both historical and emerging issues or innovations of law, rights, and justice in Bangladesh.

The conference brought together scholars, practitioners and activists from the country and abroad.

The first session was on Development of Constitutional Institutions: Institutional Perspectives while the second session focused on Women’s Rights and Legal Consciousness. The third session was titled Rights and Remedies under the Constitution.

Discussants at the conference included Prof Aziz Huq from University of Chicago, Supreme Court’s Advocates Dr Cynthia Farid and Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan, Professor Dina Siddiqui from NYU, Professor Faustina Pereira from Brac University, Professor Manan Ahmed from Columbia University, and Professor Shahnaz Huda from University of Dhaka.

Papers were presented in the conference from academics and early career researchers in Bangladesh and abroad, including Gayanthi Ranatunga, Jaya Yadav, Peter Reid, Salwa Haque, Shadika Hoque Monia and Taqbir Huda. 

The sessions were moderated by Barrister Sara Hossain, Supreme Court Advocate and Executive Director BLAST and Dr Chowdhury Ishrak Ahmed Siddiky, Supreme Court Advocate and Head of Department of Law and Human Rights at UAP.