Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics (BJBio) is the official journal of the Bangladesh Bioethics Society. It is a double–blinded, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal that is published quarterly in March, July, and November. There is no submission fee, article processing fee or publication fee. We do not publish any advertisements. The journal follows the ICMJE recommendations of authorship.
Therapeutic Contract and Ethical Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Psychotherapists and counsellors confront several ethical dilemmas as they tend to provide effective services. There has been much debate among psychotherapists and counsellors alike around the utility of therapeutic contracts. Some view contracts as being restrictive to the therapeutic process and often hindering the work done in sessions. In contrast, many counsellors and psychotherapists use those agreements to revisit specific therapeutic topics and establish the guidelines necessary for this professional arrangement. No matter the opinion or preference of contracts, the development of written and/or verbal consent of specific topics in psychotherapy remains essential. This remains one of the formal features of the arrangement and starting relationship in current counselling and psychotherapy practice. This paper aims to discuss the necessity and ethical demand of therapeutic contract in counselling and psychotherapy practice.
Therapeutic contract, counselling, psychotherapy, ethics
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Ethical Considerations in Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine: A Discussion Based on ‘The Belmont Report’
With technical sophistication and innovation in the field of medical science, a considerable proportion of medical diagnosis now rely on laboratory analyses, which emphasises the crucial role of laboratory physicians in patient care. Sustaining high ethical standards remains crucial in both clinical biochemistry and laboratory medicine, and several ethical dilemmas are faced by laboratory physicians in day-to-day practice. In a low-resource country like Bangladesh, formal ethics education or ethical framework in laboratory practice is still absent; ethics has not received that much attention it this field. This paper has considered ethical issues encountered during the daily routine work of laboratory physicians and specially focused on the ethical issues encountered during the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases of laboratory medicine practice and discuss those issues in light of ‘The Belmont Report’ (1978) perspective. It is not intended to be a comprehensive one, rather it aims to complement existing guidelines and documents that are available in some institutions and to offer a framework for addressing ethical issues encountered in the practice of clinical biochemistry and laboratory medicine in Bangladesh.
The Belmont Report, ethics, clinical biochemistry, laboratory medicine, Bangladesh
You are cordially requested to join the Bangladesh Bioethics Society's International Event , 24th Asian Bioethics Conference, to be held on 5-7 Feb 2026 at the State University of Bangladesh, Purbachal, Kanchan, Bangladesh. Abstract submission is open now. Dead line date is 15 November 2025. Notification for acceptance of Abstract on 15 December 2025. Theme: Bioethics in building Nation-States See details: https://abc24.bioethics.org.bd
Ethical Implications of Genetic Gender Manipulation for Economic Recession
A recession is a significant decline in economic activities. The effects of economic recession include general economic decline, drop in the stock market and increase in unemployment. While some have argued that bilateral relationship among nations is an ethical response to problem of economic recession but it does not solve the problem. The paper suggests genetic gender determination. Genetic gender determination is an agent-based ethics. It involves the scientific manipulation of the fetus of a woman to determine the gender of her offspring. Ethical issues linked to genetic gender determination, unbalance sex ratio, manipulation of genome, and possible spread of infectious or communicable diseases. The paper concludes that the genetic gender determination would help to cushion the effects of economic recession.
Genetic gender determination, infectious and communicable diseases, economic recession and common good.
I invite you to all at the 20th Asian Bioethics conference, organized by Bangladesh Bioethics Society in cooperation with SSRC, Planning Division; PMR, DGHS, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, BMRC, ABA, and Eubios Ethics Institute to be on Friday, 22 Nov, 2019 at NEC Auditorium, Planning Ministry, Agargoan, Dhaka. Details: https://abc20.bioethics.org.bd/
Good care is the reflection of care ethics. To improve the quality of care, moral behavior is needed in addition to law and regulation. Personal involvement and motivation of care are important elements of good care. Thus, health care provider must change their perspective. Their education on medical ethics needs to be more practically oriented rather than theoretical. In addition, ethical reflection is a contextual and experiential learning process. Bioethics training is required in order to foster, inter alia, the moral power of imagination of care providers. This issue of the Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics is designated with articles on ethics in patient care
Care ethics, medical , healthcare professional
Call for Abstract on Human Non-Human and Other Animal Relationships
Call for Abstracts for our next special November 2025 issue of BJBio vol 16 Issue 3, 2025 of the Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics on Human, Non-Human, and other Animal Relationships. Dr Rainer Ebert, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Houston Community College, Texas, USA; Motlatsi Khosi and Kala Bopape, Department of Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology, University of South Africa (Unisa), Pretoria, South Africa, are the Guest Editors of this issue.
Relationship, human, non-Human and other animal
Editorial: Humans and Other Animals: Rattling the Paradigm
This editorial introduces a special issue of the Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics based on the 2024 conference Humans and Other Animals: Rattling the Paradigm, hosted by the University of South Africa. Bringing together emerging scholars from across the Global South, the event explored human–animal relationships through philosophical, social, and artistic perspectives. The six articles in this issue present diverse approaches to animal ethics, emphasizing dialogue and collaboration across cultures and disciplines.
Roadside Zoo: Challenging Anthropocentrism Through Photography
In this article, I use a critical animal studies (CAS) lens to examine what it means to create and view photographs of roadside zoo animals. As a photographer and CAS researcher, I am particularly interested in situations where animal suffering is clearly visible, yet ignored, or perhaps framed as something else, such as entertainment. Since roadside zoos are legally sanctioned, open to the public, and encourage visitors to take pictures, they can be a powerful tool to reframe what it means to look at animal suffering. Roadside zoos are typically privately owned, unaccredited menageries charging an admission fee. They exist in every state in the USA, and they are legal. Through my photography, I hope to picture captive animals as individuals, and create photographs that empathetically call attention to the animal's boredom, frustration, and suffering through confinement. In this article, I discuss my “Roadside Zoo” photography series that I created while working on my dissertation (2025). Specifically I analyze the ethics of looking at and photographing roadside zoo animals from a CAS perspective. This includes an examination of issues of power, representation, perception, and empathy for both the photographer and the viewer. I conclude with a discussion of an artistic intervention that I made to these photographs, and examine how these altered visuals might allow us to better “see” the impact of incarceration on these zoo animals.
Illegal dog-fighting and animal crime prevention in South Africa: A desktop study of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA's anti-dog-fighting community outreach programme in Cape Town
Illegal dog-fighting in South Africa is a crime that remains unchallenged within affected communities, putting both dogs and people at risk. Notwithstanding efforts to combat dogfighting in Cape Town, the practice remains largely unregulated and poorly enforced by animal welfare authorities. To address this gap, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA (Cape SPCA) anti-dog-fighting outreach program involves the community through proactive, weekly organized campaigns targeting affected communities. This outreach program aims to train citizens whose intervention can be crucial in providing emergency first aid for dogs by recognizing, reporting, and preventing dog-fighting through various community outreach campaigns. Consequently, community members play a vital role in raising awareness and educating others about the crime of dog-fighting. By conducting a desktop study of the Cape SPCA’s website and other relevant sources, this article highlights several key tactics the animal welfare organization has employed to combat dog-fighting in affected communities and help prevent the illegal activity from escalating. With the support of local governance, viz, the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement, the Cape SPCA works to integrate local anti-dog-fighting mechanisms to combat the illegal practice in Cape Town. This review aims to demonstrate that this community outreach programme can be proactive and effective in addressing the issue of dog fighting in the city.
The Disposability of Ritual Animals: Raising the Animal Rights Question around Yoruba Rituals
The use of non-human animals as a category of sacrificial items in Yoruba rituals raises a fundamental question of whether animals’ rights discourse and advocacy have had some restricting influence on how non-human animals are rather treated as ritual disposables in Yoruba rituals. While the sacrifice of non-human animals is upheld in Yoruba culture as a part of the moral construct of the Yoruba society the act raises an ethical question as to whether or not there is any moral consideration for the interest of the non-human animals sacrificed to ensure cosmic stability. This paper raises the question of selecting non-human animals for the purpose of securing the universe inhabited by non-human animals and humans in view of a perceived silence regarding this question in Yoruba ritual scholarship. The paper contends that the socio-moral framework of the Yoruba culture is not such that is avers to the consideration of the interest of non-human animals. Hence, on the strength of the basic contention of the stage theory of moral development as explained by Judith Boss (1999) this paper will assert that there is need to reconsider the use of non-human animals in Yoruba rituals by aspiring to a higher level of moral development which could enhance the protection of the interest of non-human animals.
Interrogating the Ontologies of Animal Totems (Dogs and the Green Snake) in Tiv Culture: A Pathway for African Animal Ethics
This essay seeks to understand the relationship between dogs and the green snake, in a bid to illuminate their special status among the Tiv people of Central Nigeria. The Tiv are known for their great love for meat. The desire and love of meat propelled their ancestors into a culture of hunting and farming to ingratiate this insatiable need. However, respect and the conservation of a select breed of animals calls for a close study and special attention to understand why other animals are not edible. The Tiv share a common cosmological history and ontology with animals like dogs and the green snake. These animals are considered sacred and respected totems that the Tiv are forbidden to kill and eat. This research seeks to answer the question of how the Tiv people perceive the agency and special status of dogs and the green snake in their cultured area and the role played by animals in Tiv spiritual and cultural traditions. What ethical implications arise from these ontologies, particularly regarding animal rights, welfare, and conservation? These research questions will open diverse perspectives to the discourse on African animal ethics. This research also investigated and unveils the diverse perspectives on human-animal relationships and informs the development of an African animal ethics that incorporates indigenous knowledge systems. This research adopted a historicist, cultural, and evaluative approach in answering these questions. It argues that there are several similar totem practices in African cultures, many of which are gradually becoming obsolescent, which can be reclaimed and leveraged to liberate non-human animals to establish a viable African animal ethics.
Social Media and the Shifting Dynamics of Human-Animal Relationships in Dhaka
This study delves into how social media is revolutionizing animal welfare efforts in Dhaka, Bangladesh, focusing on both community-driven initiatives and legal advocacy. Using qualitative methods such as digital ethnography and semi-structured interviews, the study examines how online platforms are transforming individual acts of animal rescue into broader, organized movements. Theoretical insights from Benedict Anderson’s "Imagined Communities" and Erving Goffman’s Framing Theory shed light on how digital spaces create collective identities and influence public attitudes. By 2024, local animal welfare groups had evolved from merely rescuing and adopting animals to actively engaging in legal battles and policy advocacy. The study highlights how social media not only builds strong support networks and raises awareness but also empowers new activists by keeping them engaged in awareness related activities, bringing justice to animals, and staying connected among themselves for a common cause. The study also enhances the understanding of how digital platforms can drive meaningful social change and offers a framework for applying similar strategies to other advocacy efforts.
Culture and Spirituality as Pathways for Promoting Animal Ethics: A Study of the Principles of Hinduism and Buddhism in Bengal
Amid ongoing debates on animal ethics, this study investigates whether the culturally and spiritually grounded values of Bengali traditions provide a more accessible and effective framework than modern abstract ethical theories such as Peter Singer’s utilitarianism and Tom Regan’s animal rights theory, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. While Western ethical theories provide intellectual scholarship and universal principles, their reliance on rational abstraction often renders them detached from the lived realities of culturally embedded societies. Conversely, some Bengali traditions, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, grounded in ahimsa (non-violence) and relational ethics, offer a pragmatic, emotionally resonant, and culturally integrated ethical paradigm that is more intuitive and applicable in daily life. To substantiate this hypothesis, a 40-day empirical study involving 17 participants was conducted. In Phase 1, participants were introduced to Western ethical theories and instructed to apply these principles in real-life contexts. In Phase 2, they engaged with the Bengali cultural and spiritual frameworks of Hinduism and Buddhism, including the ahimsa doctrine and other religious teachings emphasizing compassion toward animals. The findings revealed that nearly 80% of participants found cultural and spiritual frameworks to be more comprehensible and practically applicable than the abstract reasoning of Western theories. Furthermore, participants reported natural behavioral shifts toward avoiding harm to animals, attributing this change to a deeper emotional and moral connection made by spiritual teachings. Three core propositions emerge from the analysis. First, ahimsa functions as a pragmatic ethical middle ground, bridging the flexibility of utilitarianism with the moral absolutism of animal rights theory. Second, relational ethics in Bengali Hindu and Buddhist philosophy decenters anthropocentrism, proposing a worldview that emphasizes the interdependence of humans, animals, and the environment. Third, spirituality in Hinduism and Buddhism offers an intrinsically motivating, culturally embedded ethical framework that proves more sustainable and emotionally accessible than abstract philosophical reasoning. This paper argues that Bengali cultural and spiritual teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism present a more effective, enduring, and culturally congruent model for promoting animal ethics in Bangladesh, where moral frameworks such as ahimsa (non-violence) and relational ethics are genuinely intertwined with spiritual and cultural narratives.
Asian Bioethics Conference (ABC20) was held on 22-25 Nov. 2019 at DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services) auditorium, Mohakhali and NEC (National Election Commission) Auditorium, Agargoan, Dhaka. Conference was organized by Bangladesh Bioethics Society (BBS) in cooperation with DGHS, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,; Social Science Research Council Bangladesh, the Ministry of Planning; Bangladesh Medical Research Council, Mohakhali Dhaka; Asian Bioethics Association (ABA) and Eubios Ethics Institute, Thailand, New Zealand’s and Japan. Mr MA Mannan MP, Honorable Planning Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh was the Chief Guest. Dr. Md. Murad Hassan MP, Honorable State Minister, Ministry of Information, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was present as Special Guest. Md. Nurul Amin, Secretary, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning and Dr Iqbal Kabir, Director, Planning, Monitoring, & Research and Coordinator, DGHS were also present as Special Guests. Acknowledgement: We acknowledge our gratitude to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of People Republic of Bangladesh to publish the news of 20 Asian Bioethics Conference in the Policy Brief. We also express our thanks to DGHS for their cooperation and collaboration during the Conference.
Ethics in Social Research and Its Impact on Policy Implication, Pragmatic Planning and Development
This paper is an attempt to discuss how ethics is related to social research in connection with the collection of authentic and reliable data, use of appropriate data process and impartial data analysis for preparing an acceptable research report. Ethics is closely related to moral integrity, and values associated with appropriate methods and techniques applied for collection of reliable and authentic information that ensure the trust worthy research findings. This paper is based on secondary data collected through reviewing the relevant literatures. Main focus of this paper is to examine to what extent the research findings contribute to the knowledge of planners and policy makers in formulating the appropriate policy, pragmatic planning and finally thus may affects on development.
Ethics, social research, policy, planning, development
Profulla C.Profulla C. Sarker Profulla C. Sarker
Justice for Children in Bangladesh: Legal and Ethical Issues
Reform of the child justice system has started with the enactment of the Children Act 2013 in Bangladesh. The Act adopted a number of institutional setups for child-friendly justice i.e. child help desks in the police station, separate children’s court, child development centres, national child welfare board etc. These all are interlinked and the responsibilities of concerned authorities have been focused on the law. In practice, most of the children are deprived of their fair justice in different phases i.e. police arrest, prosecution, court hearing, and correctional treatment as there is a lack of professional ethics of concerned personnel. Ethical approach, skill, and knowledge of personnel are major challenges for the treatment of offender children. Thus, code of ethics is important for professionals to provide value-based justice for the best interest of the children. The study focuses on the legal and ethical responsibility towards the child justice system in the country to protect child rights and their childhood.
children, justice, law, ethics, responsibility
The police are one of the most powerful and important forces for any country. The main task of the police is to install a sense of security in the ordinary citizens and to protect their life and property when they are in danger. Bangladeshi Police have a glorious past with tremendous achievement. Especially in our great liberation war in 1971, they played an important role in achieving our liberation. Eliminating terrorism & militancy and others several operation that leads with the risk of their life. But there are still a lot of accusations against the police force. Like- abusing of power, misconducting with the people, committing crossfire defying the high-court order, wearing white dress when they move to detain criminals, arresting without warrant, and many other including bribery, extortion, trading drug and yaba, playing partisan role, keeping bad association, filing case against deceased man, charging sheet against the infant who has not been born yet, enforcing disappearance, suppressing the freedom of express, violating human rights, doing anti-social activities such as rape, forcible extortion, drinking alcohol, etc. are the real scenario of Bangladesh Police. Policing ethics or related unethical behaviors, in particular, are shaped by both societal perceptions and organizational socialization of the police personnel on how authority should be exercised, as well as the latter's relationship with the socio-political and economic structures overtime. This paper proposes to explain the role of police as the main law enforcement agency in any democratic country. An attempt has been made to bring different perspectives of ethics which comprises views of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Immanuel Kant, J S Mill and John Rawls. The paper focuses on police ethics. Police ethics’ reflects the society and the regulations that shape the policing system. This paper also discuss the results and analysis of the consequences of moral degradation caused by the police. This article explore the police brutality because of the lack of ethics and highlight the public's attitude towards police as well. The ethical standards and the code of conduct of Police practitioners should actually abide by is an ongoing debate.
Ethics, applied ethics, police, policing Ethics
Public health system always requires an advanced level of awareness and a comprehensive policy. However, as is often the case, expectations and actualities do not match. In order to understand the situation, planning and other related initiatives, and to assess the adequacy in terms of the expectations borne out of experiences, the papers in this volume detailed the issues and the need of ethics in formulating the policies and contributing in the vision of the development of the country.
Why is Family-Oriented Organ Transplantation Policy and Practice Necessary for Bangladesh?
In the West, in countries such as the US and UK, people are equally encouraged to donate organs both to their relatives and nonrelatives. In practice, although family is the priority in the US and UK, anybody can donate organs to anyone else lawfully. Contrastingly, in Bangladesh, people are only legally allowed to donate organs for transplantation to close relatives. Bangladesh’s living organ transplantation policy and practice is in stark contrast with the Western secular biomedical perspective. In this artcile, I address that the notion of individual freedom and liberty in regard to the donation of organs for transplantation in the West is consistent with secular culture and biomedical perspectives, but such biomedical policy and practice is at odds with the Bangladeshi Muslim culture, socio-economic reality and biomedical perspective. As Bangladesh is a family-oriented collective society, the kinship relation and strong familial bonds may encourage relatives into donating organs to a patient. More than 20% of people still live below the poverty line, and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed poor people into extreme poverty. The practice of allowing unrelated altruistic donors as is done in the West and Iran, or even in the special circumstance in Paksitan, the act of donating organs will comprehensievly increase organ trade in Bangladesh, which in turn will cause more harms than benefits. This study conludes that the government should uphold family-oriented biomedical policy and practice in Bangladesh until poverty is eliminated. It implies that patients who do not have close relatives, or whose poetntial relative donors are medically unsuitable for transplantations should wait for deceased organs for transplantation.
Family, Organ Transplantation, Policy, Bangladesh
Child Marriage in Bangladesh: Policy and Ethics
Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority society with more than 163 million people. Most Bangladeshis hold the ideals of Islamic norms and values which is manifest in all sorts of socio- cultural behaviour. In reference to such values, the tradition of legitimizing child marriage in Bangladesh is the issue that needs to be addressed in a holistic yet rigorous approach. Currently, Bangladesh ranks 4th in the world and 1st in Asia in terms of child marriage. Recently the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 has been abolished and it has been replaced by the Act of 2017 preserving article 2 of the previous statute, the legal age for marriage for a boy 21 and for a girl 18. This Act adds article 19 which legalizes minors (below 18 years of age) to be married off with the consent of the parents/guardians at the presence of a magistrate under “special circumstances” deemed with securing the best interest for them. The law artfully coincides with the Muslim Marriage Law which allows participants of 15 years and above to get legally married, and as such contradicts the international law and the Act of 2017 itself. In the West intimate relationships including extra-marital cohabitation before reaching 18 years of age are culturally accepted. In contrast, such extra-marital and intimate relationships are strictly prohibited in Muslim-majority societies, which are dearly adhered in Bangladeshi Muslim culture. This study examines how the religious cultural and socio- economic realities influence child marriage practice in Bangladesh. Along with secondary documents, we interviewed 22 individuals including the Deputy Commissioner, the District Women and Children Affairs Officer, elected Union Parishad Chairman and Members, Social Workers, married couples and their parents/guardians at Manikganj district. In addition, we also conducted a mass survey with 62 randomly selected participants, and a voluntary online survey where the opinion of another 53 young students were collected to find broad opinion. We also collected stories of how marriages take place at the rural, urban and sub-urban areas in Bangladesh. The study has revealed that Bangladeshis does not support marriage at early ages but socio-economic reality often pushes poor into getting their children married at early ages. Many view that the special provision may encourage child marriage in the country. This study suggests that the government of Bangladesh should redefine public policy in regard to finding a middle ground between Islamic ethics and international values by exploring isomorphic mimicry and other socio-culturally accepted measures with a view to abolishing child marriage successfully.
Child Marriage, Muslim, Culture, Bangladesh.
Cambridge online dictionary offers the meaning of the noun term “environment” as the air, water, and land in or on which humans, animals, and plants reside1. The environment can also be a mixture of factors that influence both organic and inorganic ecosystems and their shared co- existence. This co-existence is the last idea that is given significance in the sophisticated and busy life styles of the modern day.
The Relevance of deep ecological principles in Aquatic Crisis: A philosophical Analysis
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that analyzes right or wrong of an action. Ethics studies all aspect of human activities; which water pollution is one. Water pollution is the emission of waste or chemicals into water bodies at a quantity that is harmful to man and the aquatic organisms. The Effects of water pollution include mass extinction species, decrease in the biodiversity, and scarcity of fresh water. The question to ask is “how can water pollution be ameliorated if not totally eradicated?” Using the method of philosophical analysis, the paper suggests that the implementation of deep ecological principles by policy makers would be abatements and environmental consciousness for the common good of the society.
Aquatic crisis, relational ethics, "I and Thou", vital needs, anthropocentricism, aquaculture, biocentric equality, self- realization and Ukama philosophy
Implementation of Nagoya Protocol – the Case Study of Indonesia
Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands separated for hundreds of thousands of years, which consequently results in biodiversity and cultural diversity richness. Strong connection between people and biodiversity form a vast array of traditional knowledges which are related to the conservation and the use of biological diversity. During the last 3 decades, tremendous advancement in science and technology has been able to uncover the intrinsic value of biodiversity. Many lead chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from, and have opened up huge opportunities in developing new businesses based on biodiversity. The consciousness of the intrinsic value of biodiversity is, however, only being understood by countries with high science and technology capacity. The intrinsic value of biodiversity remains abstract to most of the people in the developing and less developed nations. The Convention on Biological Diversity (UN-CBD), Cartagena and Nagoya Protocol are legal documents to ensure conservation, sustainable use and sharing of the benefits from the utilization of biodiversity and its components. Nagoya Protocol dealing with access and benefit sharing from the utilization of biological materials has open new and better opportunities for the developed nations to study the potential use of biological resources exist in developing and less develop nations. The implementation Nagoya Protocol on access, fair and equitable sharing of the benefit from the utilization of biodiversity very complex and full with ethical dilemmas. Basic principles stipulated in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Bioethics UNESCO 2005 e.g. consent, persons without the capacity to consent, equality, justice and equity, respect for cultural diversity and pluralism, solidarity and cooperation, sharing of benefits, protecting future generations, protection of the environment, the biosphere and biodiversity may be applied in addressing ethical issues.
Detrimental Consequences of Unethical Anthropogenic Interventions upon the Ecosystem of Teknaf Peninsula, Chattogram, Bangladesh
The eastern coastal zone of Bangladesh is endowed with dynamic Terrestrial ecosystem. The wide river estuaries, the uninterrupted Teknaf coast, and the rich biodiversity of the study area provide ample opportunities for socio-economic development. Nevertheless, the terrestrial ecosystem of the east coast has been deteriorating in an accelerated rate owing to unethical anthropogenic interventions. Few studies regarding ethical attitudes of local communities to conserve the coast were conducted earlier. The main theme of the study was to identify the detrimental consequences of unethical anthropogenic intervention upon the terrestrial ecosystem of Teknaf Peninsula, Chattogram. The objectives were (i) to measure the heavy metal concentration and (ii) the physio-chemical quality of soil, and (iii) to analyze the depletion of vegetation coverage at the study area. Five heavy metals like- Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Lead, and Zinc; and three physio-chemical parameters such as, the pH, Electrical Conductivity, and Temperature of sample soil were measured. The average concentration of Pb in soil (0.25 mg/g) is 10 times higher than world average (0.03 mg/g), while the concentration of Fe at Himchari area (S 03) soil is 1.54 mg/g more than world average (3.4 mg/g). The physio- chemical parameters are within standard range. Unethical discharge of toxic effluents from shrimp hatcheries, and municipal garbage dumping are main sources of pollution, which ensue into degradation of the terrestrial and coastal and marine ecosystems. Further, the vegetation coverage has depleted manifolds. Hence, the Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh 1 declared the area as an ‘Ecologically Critical Area’ (ECA). The concerned stakeholders, like- CPP volunteers and officials, Forest Division, Fisheries Research Institute, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Union Chairman and Journalists of Cox’s Bazar recommended insertion of moral ethics among local stakeholders through trainings, motivational lectures, demonstrations and dramas, as well as, incorporation of lessons about consequences of unethical and unscrupulous activities upon geo- environment into text books. Though least practice has been found regarding the practice of moral values and ethics during the survey, the present research advocates in developing ‘Knowledge pool’ about coastal environment, creating awareness, and developing moral ethics among the local, regional and national stakeholders.
Bio-diversity, Ecologically Critical Area, Ethics, Knowledge Pool, Moral Values, Terrestrial ecosystem
Reflections of the Ethics on Coexisting with Disaster
With the increasing number of human disasters in recent years, disaster service workers are faced with an ever-growing challenge of criticism concerning their professional competence. The workers also realize the limitation inherent in their practice, as well as bioethics problems regarding autonomy and heteronomy. Therefore, professionals and researchers of human service devote to the issue of post-disaster rehabilitation of the people so as to identify an effective way and practice to aid the post-disaster individual, family and community. This study explores the effectiveness of rehabilitative function of disaster service workers through the action research of Typhoon Morakot and the 2014 Gas Explosion in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The case studies serve as a platform for the discussion of principles of bioethics and the analysis of the process of self-discipline of the workers of human services in hope of ultimately establishing bioethical principles for heteronomy during disasters and work indicators for post-disaster community restoration. Discuss Issues are 1. How can self- discipline in bioethics be achieved for the human service workers during times of disaster? 2. In post-disaster reconstruction, how does the human service worker take into account bioethical principles to serve and partake in the restoration of the post- disaster life of community residents? 3.During the process of disaster research, what are the bioethical considerations to be taken into for the test subjects? Conclusion and suggestions are to formulate indicators for a post-disaster “community of health and wellness;” to establish bioethical principles of heteronomy for disaster service workers.
Disaster, reconstruction, human services, bio-ethics, self- discipline, heteronomy
Environmental Ethics through Value-Based Education
Environmental ethics is the subject in philosophy that examines the moral relationship of human beings to the environment and its non-human species. It concerns human’s ethical relationship with the natural environment. The central question concerning environmental ethics is essentially – what is human being’s moral obligation concerning the natural environment? The paper will firstly provide a review of the ethical relations of humans and the environment, secondly examine how value-based education can assist in inculcating environmental ethics among learners.
Environment ethics, Value-based educations, Values, Ethics, Moral obligations
Training Programme on Applied Research Methodology and SPSSShamima Parvin Lasker
Bangladesh Bioethics Society in cooperation with National Institute of Neuro Science (NINS), Agargoan, Dhaka is going to organized 60 hours Training Course on Applied Research Methodology and SPSS on March 14-22, 2021 for the Post graduate Medical Students of NINS and Member of BBS. The course is designed to familiarize the participants with modern tools, techniques and methodologies of research to develop professional knowledge and skills in the field of Health Care System. After completion of the course, participants will be expected to undertake research projects independently and to be able to evaluate the research progress at each stage of the process. Mohammad Jainul Bari, Secretary, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of People Republic of Bangladesh will be the Chief Guest. Advisor Research & Publication, WHO Prof Dr Mohammad Mostofa Zaman, Focal Point, Gender, Equity & Rights, WHO will be the special Guest. Prof. (Dr.) Quazi Deen Mohammed, Professor of Neurology & Director, National Institute of Neuroscience will host of the programme as a Local Coordinator. This programme is funded by SSRC, Planning Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. There is no registration fee. Morning Refreshment and Lunch will be provided. There is some remuneration for the participants. Interested are requested to contact Prof Shamima Pervin Lasker PhD, Professor & Head of Anatomy, Shahabuddin Medical College at splasker04@yahoo.com
Awareness and Perceptions on Bioethical Issues among Pre-Service Science Teachers
This study aims to investigate the awareness and perception level of bioethical issues among pre-service science teachers at one of the Malaysian Education Institutions. A total of 67 respondents studying science major and science elective were involved. A questionnaire based survey with an alpha Cronbach of approximately 0.93 was used. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. The results showed that the average awareness and perception level were
Bioethical issues, pre-service science teachers, awareness, perception
Editorial on Bioethics and Educational Institutes, Vol 11 No 3
In the past few years, Bioethics, the branch of applied ethics, has been widely established as a discipline, as a value framework, a framework of principles, a tool, as a medium for practical skill development to help individuals understand complex moral, social, legal, environmental issues in medicine, clinical and health research. As a discipline, bioethics invite interdisciplinary deliberation and draws people from all sectors of society to engage in discussion. Bioethics also serves as the potential medium for greater community engagement and participation involving both professionals and non-professionals.