This book has been written by Dr Nahid Ferdousi pursuant to the outcome of a PhD thesis on the Juvenile Justice system of Bangladesh. The book provides for an analytical study on current juvenile justice system. The analysis focused on juvenile justice system from a historical perspective and the existing laws have also been considered. The book concentrates on the genre and genesis of juvenile offences. It highlights bravely on the attitude of concerned agencies towards the juvenile offenders. The writer explained the judicial system with the help of numerous landmark judgments. The available correctional services have also been discussed along with the constraints faced in availing them. Finally, the writer suggested various ways how a child friendly environment can be created
within the justice of Bangladesh.
In this book, the writer has critically analysed all the national policies and laws that we have at present along with international legal instruments and role of ordinary and juvenile courts with regard to its strengths and weaknesses for achieving the objectives of care, protection and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Within the book the writer has highlighted the matters discussed within via various charts and statistics which would be invaluable for any person researching on this area. The recent picture of the juvenile justice system has been painted in this book by the brilliant presentation and writing skill of the writer.
The first chapter has been devoted to the background story of juvenile justice system in Bangladesh whereby the problems within the system has been laid out and a huge part of it has discussed the definition of a child.
The second chapter has focused on the legal history of juvenile justice system in Bangladesh and it has also considered the situation of juvenile justice during the Pakistan period.
Third chapter has taken into account the legal instruments relating to juvenile justice in Bangladesh. Chapter 4 is related to the genre and genesis of juvenile delinquency in Bangladesh and chapter 5 is on the institutional setup of dealing with juvenile delinquency. The sixth chapter considers the role of judiciary in facilitating access to juvenile justice. The seventh chapter talks about the constraints of the juvenile justice system and the last chapter concludes the book with suggestions on how a child friendly justice system can be brought about.
The book would be very helpful for academicians, NGOs, members of the judiciary, policy makers, researchers, lawyers as well as students. The book has been written in a reader friendly language as such even a lay reader can gather knowledge from this book if he/she so wishes.
The writer is working with Law Desk, The Daily Star.
