Research casts light on the ”invisible” Dalits of Bangladesh and Pakistan

Caste discrimination affects millions in the predominantly Muslim countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh according to social reseach undertaken. It is the first time that the caste discrimination has been studied comprehensively in the two countries.

Caste-based discrimination is generally associated with Hinduism and has received little attention in predominantly Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. The extent and nature of the discrimination has so far not been documented in any of the countries. The new research points to the fact that caste-based discrimination affects large sections of the Muslim communities in both countries, as well as the minority Hindu populations.

”These studies are filling a research vacuum. There is very little data about Dalits in Bangladesh and Pakistan and a glaring lack of attention to the issue among national and private research institutions in these countries. Yet the studies clearly document that extensive caste discrimination takes places in both countries,” says Smita Narula, Centre of Human Rights and Global Justice, University of New York, who also participated in the seminar.             

The research project is in its final stages and reports is expected to be published in January/February 2007 by the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies.  The final research reports and related information will be made available here on the IDSN webpage also.