HC asks why paternity leave should not be introduced in all institutions
The petition was filed on behalf of six-month-old Nubaid Bin Saadi by his mother Ishrat Hasan, who is a Supreme Court lawyer
The High Court has issued a rule asking why directives should not be given to form a paternity leave policy for employees in all public and private institutions in the country.
The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque issued the rule on Tuesday (9 July) after a hearing on a related writ petition.
The court has asked 11 respondents, including the cabinet secretary, the secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, and the secretary of the Ministry of Law, to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Advocate Ishrat Hasan argued in favour of the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Dasgupta and Assistant Attorney General Towfiq Sajwar Partho represented the state.
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Earlier, on 3 July, a writ petition was filed in the High Court seeking directives to formulate a paternity leave policy for employees in all institutions.
The petition was filed on behalf of six-month-old Nubaid Bin Saadi by his mother Ishrat Hasan, who is a Supreme Court lawyer.
The writ petition argued that the notion that only mothers are primarily responsible for newborn care has changed. The role of fathers is increasingly recognised, especially in busy cities like Dhaka where support from other family members is limited.
Additionally, the rate of C-section deliveries is very high in Bangladesh, and mothers require time to recover post-surgery. During this period, intensive care of the newborn and the mother is essential. Without paternity leave, it becomes very challenging for new fathers to care for their wives and newborns.
The petition noted that over 78 countries, including neighbouring India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, have provisions for paternity leave. It also argued that the lack of a paternity leave policy in Bangladesh conflicts with Articles 7, 27, 28, 29, 31, and 32 of the Constitution.
