Bangladesh Bioethics Society

Bangladesh Bioethics Society (BBS) Given urgent need for research, education and implementation of bioethics principles in social development and in consideration of the advances in science and technology, biomedical technologies and the environmental crisis, the Bangladesh Bioethics Society (BBS) was established. BBS is working to promote strong ethical values, practice of ethics and morality among different stakeholders for preventing corruption, upholding human rights and promoting good governance in Bangladesh.

BBS was established in 2009 under the auspice of RUSHSAP (Regional Unit for Social and Human Science in Asia and the Pacific) UNESCO Bangkok and UNESCO Dhaka^[1] and was launched by H.E. Nurul Islam Nahid, Minister of Education, People's Republic of Bangladesh with the enterprise of Prof. Shamima P Lasker and Dr. Arif Hossain to uphold the value of free, open and reasoned discussion in the issues in bioethics, encourage teaching and research on bioethical issues and encourage application of the knowledge and skills of bioethics in social and personal life for promoting bioethical maturity in the society.

BBS is the first academic organization on bioethics in Bangladesh. It is a non profit, non political, multi-disciplinary and voluntary organization.

To build awareness and sensitivity on bioethics in country, BBS has organized courses, researches, international conferences and interlinks with other national and international organizations. The society has also taken part in public campaigns for policy changes. Society is also working for Road Safety.

Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives

Vision

BBS would like to see an ethically educated and morally healthy generation for sustainable development of Bangladesh.

Mission of BBS

To bring community people to think about critical issues and balance the risks and benefits in their choices and decisions for peace, human rights, balanced gender, tolerance and democratic governance.

Goals of BBS

Ethically enlightened citizens in all strata of society regardless of poor, rich, cast and creed.

Objectives of BBS

1. Uphold the value of free, open and reasoned discussion of issues in bioethics;
2. Facilitate contacts and exchange of information between those working in bioethics across Bangladesh;
3. Encourage teaching of bioethics in Bangladesh at all levels;
4. Disseminate the idea of bioethics and results through popular lectures, public awareness programme and publications;
5. Encourage application of the knowledge and skills of bioethics in personal and social life and promote bioethical maturity of the society;
6. Encourage development of research about bioethics issues in Bangladesh and from across the world;
7. Organize and promote lectures, seminars, workshops and national and international conferences in bioethics;
8. Assist the linkage with regional and global organizations of bioethics;
9. Encourage other academic works or projects to accomplish their goals consisting of the objectives of the society and
10. Facilitate government policies consisting of the objectives of the society.

Affiliations

BBS is affiliated to:

1. UNESCO Asia-Pacific School of Ethics, Thailand^[2]
2. Global Ethics Observatory (GEObs), Paris^[3]
3. Kennedy Institute of Ethics, USA^[4]
4. International Society of Bioethics (SIBI), Spain^[5]
5. Globethics.net, Switzerland^[6]

BBS Committees

Executive Committee of BBS (2014-2016)

Advisory Committee of BBS

Journal

Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics (BJB) is the official Journal of the BBS, first published in 2010. BJB has both print and internet version edition journal and published quarterly. The journal promotes multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary study in the field of ethics in medicine, science, social science, law, education, policy and research.

The journal is indexed by NLB, Index Copernicus, DOAJ and Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC), WHO IMSEAR, Bangljol of INASP and Drij.

BJB is being published regularly in different international publishing house.

1. BanglaJOL^[7]
2. Hinary (WHO/OMS Extranet service)^[8]
3. Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research
4. Georgetown University Law Library, USA^[9]
5. Globethics.net, Switzerland^[10]
6. Universe Digital Library (UDL), Malaysia
7. Directory of Research Journal Indexing (DRJI)
8. World Medical Journal Editors (WAME)

Registration

Registered by Joint Stock Society, Bangladesh, Under Registration Act 1860, Registration No: S11259.

Address: 1085/1 Malibagh Chowdhury Para, Dhaka-1219, Bangladesh,

Projects

Courses/Seminars/Conferences

Over the last couple of years, BBS has organized a number of courses/seminars/workshops to familiarize the idea of bioethics and encourage development of research on bioethics issues in Bangladesh.

Human Rights Training for Students

To promote strong ethical values, practice of ethics and morality among young generation in their professional and social life to lead the nation for upholding human rights and for sustainable development of Bangladesh, BBS has started youth leadership training workshop bioethics for ensuring human rights from 2011.

Government Policy

1. BBS took part in discussions with Education Policy Implementation Committee, Ministry of Education and gave suggestions about the aims and objectives of ethical teaching in education policy and strategies the government should take to uphold moral teaching in education policy.
2. BBS is working on Health policy for improving public health and medical practices for the protection of human and human rights.

Road Safety Programme

There has been an alarming rise in road accidents in Bangladesh over the past few years. Many initiatives have been taken by different organizations to reduce the Road Traffic Accidents (RTA). Law enforcement agency promotes good practices related to helmet and seat-belt wearing and not drinking & driving. But there has not been any action taken yet on speed limit. In addition there are almost no speed limit sign posts in the roads particularly in the cities. Therefore, drivers particularly young and novice have motives and attitudes for speeding and causing accidents.

Speeding is not only unethical but also a crime. Currently, BBS in collaboration with Highway Police and BRTC has taken initiative of awareness programme, research and place speed limit signposts at roads and highways to reduce RTA. Road Safety programme had been launched on 15 June 2013.

Human Resource Development

To develop skills and knowledge of bioethics, BBS regularly sends their members in different international conferences so that the individuals can develop themselves to accomplish the goals of the society.

Art / Picture Competition on Bioethics

To develop ethical values among young generation, BBS organizes Art / Photography competitions on ethics from 2013. It encourages drawing picture on ethics, e.g. what is good and bad; capture the beauty of good behavior; appreciation of human life; discovering truth about humanity and recognizing inherent dignity of human. Ethical aspect of any subject matter can be included in this competition.

References

External links

• Official website