Vagrant act a 'tool' to put shelterless behind bars
Speakers tell discussion
Originally meant to help rehabilitate homeless people, the Vagrant and Shelterless Persons (rehabilitation) Act 2011 has become a “tool” to put the shelterless behind bars.
The law brands homeless people as possible criminals. It also gives law enforcers the authority to pick up any vagabond anytime and furthermore keep them behind bars for up to seven days, both needing no grounds.
The views came at a roundtable discussion yesterday titled “Vagrant and Shelterless Persons (rehabilitation) Act 2011: Protest and assessment” in the city's Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Brac, Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Blast), ADD International and Nijera Kori organised the discussion.
Representatives from the vagabond community, human rights activists, teachers, lawyers and students present at the discussion slammed the new law and demanded the government to reconsider it.
“With the law, it seems the government is more interested in keeping them (shelterless people) behind bars than making arrangements for their rehabilitation,” said Barrister Sara Hossain, honorary director of Blast.
The government did not even bother to speak with any stakeholder, especially the vagabonds, before formulating the law, she said.
Mohammad Aslam, a street beggar from Dhaka's Shah Ali area, said law enforcers always pick them up while they are asleep on footpaths.
They are tortured mercilessly and many female beggars face sexual harassment in rehabilitation centres during detention, he added.
The law says the government is to establish more shelters for vagabonds. However, the shelters would be operated with money earned by the vagabonds themselves, which is horrible, said Sara.
Speaking as the chief guest, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said the commission would find out the flaws in the law and place them before the government for reconsideration.
He said NHRC would also visit all shelters for vagabonds in the country to get a better picture of the living conditions.
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