The Department of Law, Faculty of Security and Strategic Studies (FSSS), Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), hosted a workshop today titled “From Universal Norms to Fragmented Realities: Reassessing Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Environmental Rights) in the 21st Century.”

The keynote was delivered by Dr. Masrur Salekin, PhD, Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka, and Hardiman Research Scholar at the National University of Ireland Galway. The workshop was held at the FASS Conference Room, BUP, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The session was conducted by Md. Abu Bakar Siddique, Assistant Professor & Acting Chairman, Department of Law, BUP, who guided the discussions and coordinated the interaction between the resource person and the participants.

The workshop aimed to shed light on how environmental rights are increasingly becoming a critical dimension of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) in the modern legal framework. Dr. Salekin emphasized that while international human rights instruments recognize a wide range of ESCR, environmental rights are often overlooked or fragmented in their practical enforcement. He argued that the 21st century presents unique challenges—climate change, urbanization, and industrial expansion—that demand stronger integration of environmental protection within human rights discourse.

Drawing on his research and judicial experience, Dr. Salekin explained that Bangladesh, as a climate-vulnerable country, has a pressing responsibility to rethink its legal and institutional mechanisms for environmental justice. He noted that the judiciary of Bangladesh has made remarkable contributions by interpreting constitutional rights to encompass environmental protection, but significant gaps remain in implementation, public awareness, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Students of the LLM (Professional) program batch 24 and faculty members of the Department of Law actively participated in the workshop. The session provided a platform for future lawyers and legal researchers to engage with cutting-edge issues that connect international law, constitutional rights, and environmental justice. Participants also raised questions about how to balance development priorities with environmental obligations, how international treaties like the Paris Agreement influence domestic policies, and how courts can play a proactive role in upholding the right to a healthy environment.

In his lecture, Dr. Salekin also pointed out that economic development and environmental sustainability should not be seen as mutually exclusive. Instead, he encouraged policymakers and legal professionals to adopt a rights-based approach where environmental protection is treated as an integral part of securing social justice, public health, and intergenerational equity.

The Department of Law, BUP, stressed that workshops of this nature are crucial in equipping students with knowledge that goes beyond textbooks and engages them with pressing real-world issues. The event reflected the university’s commitment to bridging academic learning with professional practice, especially in areas where law intersects with global concerns like climate change.

The workshop ended with an interactive discussion session, where students shared their perspectives on how environmental rights could be better mainstreamed into Bangladesh’s legal framework. In the evening session, participants attended the ‘Universal Periodic Review (UPR) simulation exercise’ where they replicated real life NGO representation for a specific human rights issue