The Spectrum Rights Observatory (SRO) has called for an investigation into an incident at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in which, according to the rights organization, three adult women with valid passports, visas and air tickets were prevented from traveling to Nepal because they were unmarried and traveling without male guardians.
In a statement issued on September 30, SRO alleged that the incident reflected discriminatory treatment of adult women by immigration authorities and raised concerns about the enforcement of constitutional rights at Bangladesh’s international borders.
SRO said Articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on grounds including sex. It also cited Articles 31 and 32, concerning protection of law and personal liberty, and Article 36, which guarantees citizens the freedom of movement.
The organization said that questioning an adult woman’s marital status, demanding parental consent, or scrutinizing her social choices cannot by itself provide a legal basis for preventing her from traveling. It further argued that treating adult women as requiring male supervision undermines their autonomy, dignity and citizenship rights.
SRO also said anti-trafficking measures should not be used to justify discriminatory treatment of adult female travelers.
The organization called for the immediate cessation of what it described as arbitrary and discriminatory questioning based on a traveler’s gender, ethnicity or religious affiliation. It urged the authorities to issue clear administrative directives to immigration officials regarding the treatment of adult travelers.
SRO also demanded an internal investigation into officials allegedly involved in what it termed “moral policing” and called for appropriate administrative action if wrongdoing is established.
The rights organization further urged the authorities to introduce mandatory human rights and gender-sensitivity training for immigration and border security personnel, with the aim of preventing discrimination based on gender, race, ethnic origin or religious affiliation.
SRO called for transparent guidelines on remedies and compensation for travelers who are unlawfully prevented from traveling. It also urged the government to ensure that adult citizens are not restricted from exercising their right to travel solely because of their gender, race, ethnic origin or religious affiliation.
The organization called on the Ministry of Home Affairs and Police Headquarters to uphold the rule of law and ensure that international airports facilitate lawful citizen mobility rather than becoming places of what it described as “moral policing.”
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