The Bangladeshi high court's decision comes in the midst of other countries attempting to formally ban Islamic burqas [JURIST news archive] and other full face veils. Last month, the French National Assembly [official website, in French] voted 336-1 to approve a bill [JURIST report] that would make it illegal to wear burqas in public. The bill would require women who choose to wear the veil in public to show police their face and, if they refuse, they can be forced to attend citizenship classes or be charged a $185 USD fine. Spain's lower house of parliament, the Congress of Deputies [official website, in Spanish] rejected a similar proposal [JURIST report] to ban the burqa by a vote of 183-162 last month. UK Immigration Minister Damian Green [official profile] indicated last month that Britain's coalition government would not seek to support a similar ban in the UK [JURIST report]. In May, Australian state lawmakers voted 26-3 against a ban [JURIST report]. In April, the Belgian House of Representatives [official website, in French] voted 136-0 to approve a burqa ban [JURIST report]. European Parliament Vice President Silvana Koch-Mehrin [official website, in German] expressed her support for a continent-wide ban [JURIST report] in May, calling the face coverings a "mobile prison."

Hassan, who had Irish, British and Iraqi citizenship, was the director of the Iraq office of CARE International [advocacy website], where she worked with combating public health issues. After being kidnapped, a videotape surfaced [JURIST report] that appeared to show her being shot to death. Her body has not been found. In 2006, Mustafa Salman was charged, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for aiding and abetting [JURIST report] Hassan's kidnappers after her personal effects were found in his home.