Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2014; vol. 5  Issue 1 

EDITORIAL 
 

 

Bangladesh Bioethics Society (BBS) started the course on Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research in 

collaboration with national Institute of Health (NIH), USA from 2010. BBS also organized this course in 2013. This 

three month course is designed to provide an overview of the important issues in the ethics of human subject 

research for clinical investigators and others who participate in the conduct of research. By the end of the course 

participants take part in research for in-depth understanding of ethical issue in clinical research. This issue of the 

journal is designed by articles of ethics course participants. 

 

An article mentions about the strategy for ethical research in Randomized Clinical trials (RCTs). Bias free subject 

allocation may be a way to establish the research result in Randomized Clinical trials is his point of view. For this 

reason strict ethical guidance is necessary from selection of participants to the analysis of trial results. 

 

Some important aspect of ethical research, roles and responsibilities of IRB/ERC and its challenges and 

national/institutional research strategies has been discussed by a researcher. The systemic review of the researcher 

identifies several challenges in monitoring function of IRBs on ongoing research in terms of annual review, consent, 

adherence to protocol, data integrity, auditing and quality assurance. 

 

A researcher has evaluated the bioethics education in research in developing countries. Article reveals major gaps in 

clinical trail and has seen that there are still many ethical issues needed to be considered in research in developing 

countries. He also mentions that actions should require to move ahead in this field, e.g. strengthening bioethics 

capacity in developing countries and increasing communication between scientists and ethicists in industrialized and 

developing countries.  

 

Informed consent is a vital part of the research process.  A paper reviews the guidelines for obtaining informed 

consent and also discusses prevailing views on current controversies, ambiguities and problems with these 

guidelines and suggests potential solutions. He states that researchers or investigators must be educated to ensure 

that they can reach a truly informed decision rather than obtaining a signature on the consent form. 

 

Ethical and historical regulations of research with children are depicted in an article. She highlights that the effort 

should be made to involve children actively as participants in the research process. Therefore utmost care must be 

taken to protect the rights and welfare of children and special attention should be made for specific groups of 

children. 

 

BBS will organize this programme in 2014 as well. Interested are requested to contact to BBS office.  

 

Prof Shamima Parvin Lasker 

(Professor & Head of Anatomy, City Dental College, Dhaka) 

Executive Editor 

Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics