Economist Debapriya Bhattacharya today (8 November) called for the need to enact an effective anti-discrimination law, warning that without legal protection for citizens against discrimination, fair justice, free and credible elections and meaningful reforms cannot be ensured.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a civic dialogue on introducing an anti-discrimination law, organised by the Citizen Platform for SDG implementation at the Bangladesh–China Maitri Conference Centre in Agargaon, Debapriya said the measure is now a pressing need.

"For the past few years we have felt the necessity of a special law to tackle discrimination effectively. The previous government began work on a universally applicable law, but lacked the political courage to implement it," he said. "This government, which has embraced the anti-discrimination spirit of the student movement, must act now — the law is the demand of the hour."

Debapriya, who is the convener of the Citizen Platform and both chaired and moderated the programme, stressed that three areas are especially dependent on protection from discrimination: justice, elections and reform.

"If you want fair justice, citizens must be safeguarded and their rights protected. You cannot demand justice while citizens remain unprotected," he said. "If we want free elections, an anti-discrimination law is necessary to create an inclusive electoral environment. Reform cannot be effective without universal rights."

He warned against selective advocacy: "We cannot talk about anti-discrimination while picking and choosing which forms of discrimination to address. That universality must be restored."

Drawing attention to multiple vulnerabilities, Debapriya cited examples where discrimination blocks development and rights: depriving children of balanced and cultural development by removing teachers; limiting mobility and opportunity for people with disabilities; denying women the right to move and live according to their choices; refusing recognition to small ethnic groups seeking identity; and regional disparities that leave sections of the population excluded from development benefits.

"If an elderly group cannot be protected, is that an anti-discrimination movement?" he asked. He also condemned violence to silence dissenting philosophical views, saying physical harm to suppress an individual's different beliefs cannot be part of an anti-discrimination ethos.

Debapriya Bhattacharya