Form monitoring cells to protect domestic help rights: HC

Staff Correspondent: The High Court (HC) has ordered the authorities concerned to form monitoring cells across the country in order to protect the rights of domestic helps.

City corporations, labour ministry, deputy commissioner and upazila nirbahi officers (UNO have been asked to form the monitoring cell within six months.

The HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Mohammad Ejarul Haque Akondo came up with the directive on Thursday following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Advocate Manzil Murshid stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Aurobindo Kumar Roy represented the State in the court.

Manzil Murshid said that allegation can be filed with the monitoring cell concerned if the rights of the domestic helps are violated.

He also said: “Hundreds of thousands of domestic helps are working in the houses across the country. But there was no appropriate law for establishing their rights”.

“Considering the situation, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition in 2014 with the High Court for necessary order on the government to establish the rights of the domestic helps,” he said.

risingbd/DHAKA/Feb 2, 2017/Mehedi/Amirul