Rights of the Accused in Bangladesh: A Critical Appraisal of Legal Framework

Abstract

This research work mainly deals with a critical analysis under the Laws of Bangladesh in relation to the rights of the accused. Many provisions of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, the Evidence Act 1872 and special laws ensure to guarantee certain basic rights of the accused. This paper has also discussed the laws with various case principles and tried to show how the Courts are taking decisions regarding this sensitive issue. In addition, this paper also discusses particular standards of international instrument for the rights of the accused and comparative discussion with the laws of Bangladesh. The laws of Bangladesh guarantee all the basic rights of the accused; however, violation of fundamental rights has been reported in many criminal cases in Bangladesh. In this research paper, I tried to narrate the real situation of rights of accused in Bangladesh and outline some recommendations for amendments of relevant laws which is the most important to reduce the scope and possibility of the abuse of the power of different organs. Finally, I concluded this paper with a short summary of the key issues. This research paper has been prepared on the basis of a qualitative research. The secondary resources of this study such as the legal statute, books, journal articles, and newspaper reports have been applied.