by Bangladesh. It is in this connection that the NHRC has undertaken a project to review the status of a number of international human rights instruments ratified by Bangladesh. The first in this sequel are compliance status reports on ICCPR, CAT, ICESCR, CEDAW, Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and an Analysis of decisions on Arrest and Detention and Women Rights, etc. On the basis of these studies the NHRC would like to make concrete recommendation to the government directed towards improving the human rights situation in the country by way of implementation of its international obligations. It is quite significant that most of the civil and political rights under the ICCPR have been guaranteed in the Constitution of Bangladesh as fundamental rights. Bangladesh has also acceded to the ICCPR in 2000. However, Bangladesh has made some reservations and declarations to the ICCPR to limit the application of ICCPR. Similarly, Bangladesh has ratified ICESCR in 1998 along with some other instruments in recognition of its constitutional commitment to human rights. However, our review study reveals that the country remains far behind in realization of the rights and fulfillment of obligations under ICESCR. Government is yet to undertake adequate legal framework and necessary administrative measures for adequate realization of ESC rights. Reservations made by Bangladesh to some important provisions of the Covenant also have severely limited its implementation at the domestic level. Identical problems of either making reservations to certain fundamental provisions of other international Conventions to which Bangladesh is a party or not signing the Optional Protocol/s to many of these international human rights instruments have cast some doubts about the otherwise honest intention of the government to improve the human rights situation in the country. It is believed that this series of review studies conducted by the NHRC will reveal truths, both known and unknown, about impediments to proper implementation of international legal obligations with regard to human rights in Bangladesh. These ‘truths’ will have real meaning only when they are heeded to and concrete actions taken by all stakeholders, primarily the Government, to rectify the loopholes, remove the obstacles and create an enabling atmosphere where the ‘dignity and worth’ of every individual will be protected in all its dimensions. The NHRC will continue to play its expected role in this direction. Professor Dr. Mizanur Rahman Dhaka, December, 2012 Chairman National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh