Unclaimed rights, elusive justice

Bangladesh does not suffer from a shortage of laws. It suffers from a shortage of citizens who can actually use them. Every day, countless people are denied fair wages, land rights, consumer protections, or basic personal security. Yet, most of these violations never reach a courtroom. Not because remedies do not exist, but because people do not know they exist, or do not believe they are within reach.
Legal rights are meaningful only when they are exercised. Otherwise, they remain words on paper-impressive in theory, irrelevant in practice.
The root problem is simple: legal awareness remains abysmally low. For millions, the law is still seen as distant, complex, and reserved for the educated elite. A day labourer, a domestic worker, or a rural farmer is far more likely to endure injustice than challenge it, not out of choice, but out of lack of knowledge and access.
Even when awareness exists, the system itself discourages action. Legal processes are slow, costly, and often intimidating. For an ordinary citizen, seeking justice can feel like entering a maze with no clear exit. The fear of harassment, endless delays, and financial burden forces many to accept injustice as a fact of life.
Social realities make matters worse. Speaking up against injustice can mean confronting powerful individuals, risking social stigma, or even isolation. In such an environment, silence becomes safer than resistance.
But silence comes at a cost. It normalises exploitation. It weakens the rule of law. And it widens the gap between legal promise and lived reality.
If this trend continues, the consequences will be serious. A society where rights remain unclaimed is a society where inequality deepens and accountability fades. The solution does not lie in passing more laws. It lies in making the existing ones accessible.

Md Bayazid Sheikh
Law student
Gopalganj Science and Technology University