THE 57th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has just been observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere around the world the other day. It brought into sharp focus two phenomena that are telling upon the state of human rights in our country. While one is a very recent phenomenon for us, the other has been with us for a long time: to us terrorism and corruption are two major violators of human rights.

We consider terrorism, whatever be the source, as the worst form of violation of rights of man. While the terrorists target the state organs and its institutions, it is the harmless, unarmed persons that are subjected to their violent acts.

In Bangladesh human rights have been grossly violated by the violence adopted by the law enforcing agencies particularly the Rapid Action Battalion, whose modus ope-randi has come under severe scrutiny by various observers, insofar as the circumstances of deaths in 'crossfire' were concerned. Custodial deaths speak poorly of the concern of human rights by the law enforcing agencies, when it is they who should be the guardians of our rights. The suppression of the opposition in ventilating their genuine political grievances and curtailing their right of free speech and assembly has put the state of our human rights to test.

We also consider corruption a major source of threat to human rights and very few would disagree with our contention that in Bangladesh corruption is as much as violator of human rights as terrorism. Although its occurrence is not as vivid as a terror act, nor can its dangerous consequences be seen instantaneously, it nonetheless provides unmitigated ordeal for the common man that makes him as helpless in facing this as he is in facing terrorism.

While Bangladesh has acceded to various International Conventions on terrorism, it is yet to sign the one on corruption, which the UN has formulated. The Convention has certain in-built benefits that the signatories can make use of. Among other things we could use it to recover money laundered out of the country. We find the delay to accede to the Convention quite inexplicable.

Thus the government must form HR commission, and sign the UN Anti-corruption Convention without delay.