Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(1):4

Review of Bioethics Education in Bangladesh

Prof. Shamima Parvin Lasker, Professor of Anatomy, City Dental College, Dhaka. 

Arif Hossain, PhD fellow, Washington University, USA

Email: splasker04@yahoo.com

A survey has been carried out from 1st November to 30th December 2008 in different institutes of Dhaka City to 
evaluate the current status of bioethics education in science in Bangladesh under the auspices of United Nations 
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Dhaka. People face dilemma with advancing science 
and technology along with enormous health  and environmental  problems.  Bioethics  may make bridge  between 
science, technology, social, cultural and spiritual values. 

There is huge gap in teaching of ethics in undergraduate level. Moreover, demand for health research in this country 
is constantly increasing and international collaboration is growing rapidly in Bangladesh. Recently each faculty try 
to establish own ethical review committee.  Although there are a few training programmes on research ethics has 
been conducted but these are still not enough to meet the growing need for research and an ethical review process. 

Increasing  awareness,  sensitivity,  research  and  practice  of  bioethics  in  various  disciplines  of  medical  science, 
science and social sciences are required. Ethical problem can not be resolved if not first noticeable. Thus bioethics 
education / activity is essential in Bangladesh. Governments can create a national bioethics commissions by which 
they can bridge on issues of both scientific and moral complexity in health, science, environment and social science.

Environmental Pollution 

Dr Khandaker Rashedul Haque, Director General, Academy for Planning & Development, Ministry of Planning 

Email: rashedul.haque@yahoo.com

Protection of environment through enforcement of environmental law in Bangladesh is a real challenge; especially 
for those who are mandated to do it. 

This is really a defining moment for government, whose priority for development is driven by decisions to balance 
pressure groups and environmental activists, as well as for the officials, who are very often in between two fires 
because of baffling instructions from the government.

It requires high amount of moral courage for the government official to be ready to take challenge to fight for the 
environment, even sometimes risking career. Along with that is the temptation in more than one form that comes 
through tantalizingly.  

The businessmen whose industries and plants need to be run in compliance with the obligation they need to fulfill do 
make commitment only to  be broken in the process  making the life  of  the officials  all  the more difficult  and 
challenging, especially these people have high clouts in the society to buy decision in their favour.

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mailto:rashedul.haque@yahoo.com
mailto:splasker04@yahoo.com