Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque and Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder :The fundamental definition of violence places emphasis on a number of elements including intention to harm, the physical nature of harm and the involvement of animate beings. More precisely, violence is defined as “any overt depiction of a credible threat of physical force or the actual use of such force intended to physically harm an animate being or group of beings. Violence also includes certain depictions of physically harmful consequences against an animate being or group that occurs as a result of unseen violent means”. Based upon this definition, there are three primary types of violence: credible threats, behavioral acts, and harmful consequences (Children and Media Violence 1998:69).Violence is defined by the World Health Organizationas “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation”, but acknowledges that the inclusion of “the use of power” in its definition expands on the conventional meaning of the word. This definition involves intentionality with the committing of the act itself, irrespective of the outcome it produces. However, generally, anything that is excited in an injurious or damaging way may be described as violent even if not meant to be violence (Wikipedia march 2015).Violence in many forms can be reduced but cannot be alleviated altogether There is a strong relationship between levels of violence and modifiable factors such as concentrated poverty, income and gender inequality, the harmful use of alcohol and degeneration of youth forces, corruption and maldistribution of resources and wealth and adverse effects of mobile phone and internet/face book and gross inefficiency in policy implementation. And the absence of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and parents. Strategies addressing the contextual factors of violence can be effective in preventing violence.This problematic scenario continued to hold tenuously on predatory and soft state. The consequence was likely to be the generation of catastrophic conditions as well as humanitarian crisis. Massive corruption in Bangladesh degenerated the society putting severe strains on implementation of public policy. Corrupt practice continued to engulf all strategic institutions grossly undermining fairness in governance. High-ups in public administration at various levels not only grabbed as much resources as possible but also encouraged such behavior among petty officers, even peons. The environment around bureaucratic establishment, autonomous and parasitical bodies became inordinately vitiated to give way to corrupt practice. Public policy on substantive areas of development contemplates some desirable changes. Nevertheless policy outcomes resulting from lack of governance in the implementation of the projected goals under a variety of policy sectors and sub-sectors do not favour the disadvantaged lots. The dominant interest groups in the community power structures concentrate benefits of development. They do it through subtle mechanism and manipulative design in a deceptive manner. By dominant interest groups we mean the coalition of interest among governing elites, fortune-seeking political entrepreneurs and upstart businessmen. It is seen that governing elite expands various opportunities for economic concentration including rent-seeking ones that ultimately aggravates ‘humanitarian crisis’ and threatens the legitimacy of regime and increases the probability of regime turn over’. One of the critical view-point is that governing process has been of a bureaucratic character. The crisis has been compounded by bureaucratically manipulated allocative decisions. A plethora of associations based on similar configuration of interests are not effective instrument of articulating legitimate and genuine demands of the deprived social class as policy inputs. Trade unions like peasants’ organization, weaver associations, and so forth have more or less become the ‘ploys of intensive political hobnobbing.’ Increasing alienation of the deprived class is the outcome of the introduction or continuation of programmes under such policy frame work. Social protests in favour of backward comminity are the culmination of perpetual deprivation and negligence. Many a time the movements of the victims of state policy become raison d ‘etre for open confrontation.More often than not such movements pose a threat to peace and tranquility when protestants think that physical pollutions, deforestation, installation of buildings and plants, brickfield and other form of environmental terrorism threaten to displace/dislodge the original inhabitants. Backwardness and wanton exploitation of the deprived class is a motivating factor for a series of protestant movements. They create social tension and political instability. For, policy intervention reflects lack of’ a coherent plan, purpose and direction’.Notwithstanding global concerns about(Human rights) H.R as a movement there was horrendous picture of violence in Bangladesh against disadvantaged groups in stark violation of rules of law that defend H.R. The disadvantaged groups like women and child live under the shadow of fear and restrictions. Cruelty to women, children, girl, custom of dowry, forced prostitution are some examples of violation of H.R. Understanding from various reports of NGOs and H.R group, we can list the manifestation of such violations like throwing inflammable, corrosive or poisoned substance, causing or attempting to cause death, causing impairment of eye-sight / hearing or injuring face, breast or organ, impairment / disfigurement of other parts of body, kidnapping, detention for ransom, rape/gangrape, rape of women in custody etc. Panic stricken ethno-religious minorities – victims of communal disturbance and weak sect suffering harassment and assault, were indications of H.R violation. We find a plenty of reports about the incidence of H.R violation thanks to the heroic roles of journalists. The phenomenal rise in H.R violation is due to the tide of criminalization as the phenomenon of the recent past. Stories of violation are aplenty somewhat depicting contemporary Bangladesh going through strains and stress. Policy making with nefarious design in the midst of massive politicization is inconsistent with human right norms that militate against the spirit of the constitution.It is a plain truth that abuses against human right in Bangladesh occurred under successive political governments. The state under such governments became ‘soft’ to professional armed criminals serving its unholy purpose and hard to the opposition agitators and ordinary masses. Politically used law enforcing personnel perpetrated violation of human right in many cases. Many human right activists and journalists were subject to torture and harassment through ‘unsubstantiated criminal accusations’ against them. NGO activists also suffered harassment.Time is ripe for the human right defenders to work against violence in close co-operation with right-based organizations. War criminals can also be brought under the purview of human rights agenda. I do not think they face pressure from the authorities and are exposed to threat and liquidation for launching protestant movement against all heinous acts and diabolical mischievousness that grilled the lives of the disadvantaged sections. Now, in an environment devoid of adverse political influence H.R. defenders are in a position to ‘act on their own or collectively’ to protect human rights. Inspired by the international human rights standards they, continue to act and react in search for truth and reason. The ‘liberal space’ for the expression of opinion’ is no longer under attack.State-sponsored terrorism under the shadow of political influence used to be a stumbling block to the implementation of H.R. Abuse of institutions of the state under successive political governments for personal or party-political gains facilitated H.R. violations Some good lessons from state interventions make us think that only laws, conventions and instruments cannot stem the tide of H.R. violation. We have smart laws and public policies. Even then, they remain a dead letter without proper application as the cases of violation continue to mushroom to an outrageous proportion. On that count, development of H.R should not follow the set pattern. The government may be well-advised to better open Pandora’s Box with calculated risk if it ultimately saves the country from the clutches of criminal syndicate. Here the role of state sponsored Human Rights commission has much to be reckoned with. Its obligation it is suggest the government to take proper action against the perpetrators that continue to batter the lives of the disadvantaged sections. (Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Public Administration Department, Chittagong University and Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Member PSC)
