The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 2009 soon formulated a new draft policy, with a renewed focus on community clinics. The draft is still in the stage of consultation, and what fate awaits the process of consultation - whether it leads to the adoption of a widely accepted coherent policy or gets mired into political tussle like its predecessors remains to be seen. Allocations for Health 30.002 .00 20.00 1.00 10.00 2.4 Right to Work: 0.00 0.00 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY06 % change over previous year FY10 FY11 FY12 As share of GDP Allocation for FY 12: Tk. 8869 crore (5.4% of total budget) About 1% in terms of share of GDP, lower than previous year. Source: Dialogue on State of Bangladesh Economy: Analysis of the national budget FY2011- 12, CPD and IBRD, Dhaka, 18 June 2011. Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), a well known and respected organisation in Bangladesh, has undertaken litigation to ensure the effective implementation of regulations to protect public health as well as to ensure occupational health and safety. In December 2004, BLAST filed a writ petition (Writ Petition No. 1043 of 1999 and reported in 25 BLD 83) raising concerns about health issues occurring from iodine deficiency which inhibits growth and brain function in children and causes thyroid disease in adults. In response to the BLAST petition, the High Court directed the Ministry of Health to implement the Iodine Deficiency Disease Prevention Act 1989, and Rules 1994, by registering salt manufacturers, regularly testing their salt production for the required amounts of iodine and submitting the results of this testing to the Supreme Court twice each year. The High Court also directed the Ministry of Health to prevent unregistered manufacturers from producing, marketing and selling salt for human consumption. BLAST also recently challenged the failure of the concerned authorities, in particular the Directorate of Health, to take appropriate action to ensure the monitoring of licensed blood transfusion centres and to investigate reports of the continued operation of unlicensed centres pursuant to its obligations under the Safe Blood Transfusion Act, 2002. Another case 32 challenged the failure of the concerned authorities to take action to prevent the pollution resulting from the continuing operations of a factory located in Gazipur, and their resulting breach of their statutory duties under the Environment Conservation Act, 1995. The constitution of Share of Allocation for EGPs Bangladesh has a 1.60 10.00 provision on Right to 8.00 Work which reads in 1.20 6.00 Article 20 (1): Work is 0.80 4.00 a right, a duty and a 0.40 2.00 matter of honour for 0.00 0.00 every citizen who is FY10(R) FY11(P)F FY11(R) Y12(P) capable of working, Share in Total Budget As share of GDP Share in SSN Budget and everyone shall be paid for his work on the Allocation for Employment Generation Programmes (EGPs) in FY 12: Tk. 1599 (less than 1% of total budget) basis of the principles crore Less than 0.2% in terms of share of GDP. “from each according Source: Dialogue on State of Bangladesh Economy: Analysis of the national to his abilities to each budget FY2011- 12, CPD and IBRD, Dhaka, 18 June 2011. according to his work.” Article 20 (2) says- The state shall endeavour to create conditions in which, as a general principle, persons shall not be able to enjoy unread incomes, and in which human labour in every form, intellectual and physical, shall become a fuller expression of creative endeavor and of the human personality. The right to work, that is the right to guaranteed employment at a reasonable wage having regard to the quantity and quality of works is provided under Article 15(b). However, Article 15 (d) of the constitution provides the right to social security for the unemployed persons as well as for disabled, widows, orphans, ill people, old aged person etc. Bangladesh has a specific Ministry, the Ministry of Labour & Employment which is considering the importance of employment for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation. The objective of this Ministry is to alleviate poverty through creating employment opportunities for the poor, unemployed and unskilled labour force of the country. With a view 33