Bangladesh is a signatory to the charter but it is yet to be fully implemented, they said at a press conference, held at Barisal NGO Development Network (BNDN) auditorium. The press conference was organised to mark adoption of the CEDAW Charter.

They said, among developing countries, Bangladesh played a commendable role in framing the CEDAW Charter and committed to implement it fully.

But the government is yet to give legal effect Section 2 and part 1(F) of Section 16 of the Charter, they said.

The two clauses of the CEDAW Charter emphasises framing laws for elimination of all types of discrimination against women, ensures same gender status to man and woman in matrimonial relation and in divorce, they told the press conference.

The press conference was addressed by BNDN Secretary Ranjit Dutta and its Assistant Project Officer Sukumar Mitra; Moshrefa Mili, Project Officer of Samajik Uddukta Parishad (SUP), an NGO; its Secretary Saifur Rahman Miron and Executive Director Suvankar Chakroborty; and Rafiza Parvin of Speed Trust, an NGO.

Representatives of Barisal Women's Lawyers Association and other women right activists also attended the press conference.

They said Bangladesh is a country where woman's rights are being violated. Most of the incidents of violence against woman in the country take place due to violation of their rights, only due to lack of appropriate laws and their proper implementation.

Full implementation of the CEDAW Charter would help reduce violence against women they said and urged the government to take immediate steps in this regard.