Leprosy and Social Environment

Parliament yesterday passed a private member’s bill to repeal the Lepers Act 1898 that segregated leprosy patients from society and their families. This is the first time a private bill has got through the House during the tenure of the present Awami Leagueled government. Ruling party lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury, who piloted the bill in parliament in June last year, proposed its passage yesterday. With the passage of the bill, all cases filed under this act will cease to have any effect. Leper asylums will be turned into hospitals where people suffering from leprosy will receive treatment, according to a provision of the bill. In a brief statement attached to copies of the bill, Saber said the Lepers Act goes against people’s fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. He said the law was enacted during the period of British rule in order to segregate leprosy patients from society. They were not allowed to take up any public job or profession. But leprosy is now curable......................... Dhaka, Bangladesh, 25-11-2011: The Daily Star This short article in newspaper “The Daily Star” of 25th November 2011 was very important news for leprosy patients in Bangladesh, who officially saw their rights restored. The article reveals something of the profound history of leprosy and makes clear that interference in the social environment of leprosy patients had enormous impact on patients’ lives. It also shows that for more than a century control measures have been applied in the Indian subcontinent.

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