& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Equip commission with power to deal with HR violations

Speakers tell dialogue

Staff Correspondent
The newly formed National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) would be a toothless body’ unless it is equipped with enforcement mechanism', said the speakers at a dialogue yesterday
The dialogue titled National and regional institutions for the protection of human rights: Challenge for Bangladesh' was organised jointly by South Asian Institute for legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS) and the French Embassy at a city hotel.
Making a vow of not letting the NHRC to become a 'toothless body' its Chairman Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury, however, observed that it would be tough to deal with human rights in Bangladesh w here there are numerous enemies against human rights including poverty and illiteracy.
"Poverty and illiteracy are the main causes of inequality in the society. To protect human rights we must create sufficient employment opportunities for our youths who often indulge in criminal activities including extortion in absence of job putting life pf men, women and
children at stake," said Justice Chowdhury.
He also observed that as the state of emergency restricts some fundamental rights of people it would be better to lift the emergency as soon as possible.
"Establishing human rights commission is not enough unless it has independence. defined jurisdiction and adequate power to deal with human rights violation." said the Associate Professor of Chittagong University Dr Abdullah A) Faruque who presented the keynote paper.
He said many people consider the commission 'toothless body’ as it lacks power to initiate independent proceedings against perpetrators of human rights violation.
He also said the commission is over-w’heltned by government staffs, and lacks experts in human rights and representation from civil society.
"Institutions, should they be national, regional, or international, are the pivotal instruments in upholding human rights/ said M Charley Causeret, ambassador of France to Bangladesh, referring to the formation of NHRC.
Emphasising the necessity of an institution in South Asia to ensure human rights the speakers observed that the leaders from different countries of the region should sit together to fix an agreed charteron human rights.
"The commission must conduct investigation independently and impartially and the court and the commission should work hand in hand," said Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury.
“Regional initiatives should be taken to ensure human rights in the region and thus we would be able to learn from each others. We see light on the horizon as Bangladesh has established human rights commission finally." said Dr Kamal Hossain, chairperson of SAILS.
UN special rapporteur for Somalia Dr Shamsul Bari chaired the dialogue while Noemie Bienvenu, legal adviser to national consultative commission of human rights in France, Senior Lecturer of University Montpellier I, France Dr Katarzyna Grabarczyk. Supreme Court lawyer Dr Faustina Pereira, and Prof Dr Imtiaz Ahmed also spoke on the occasion. .The NHRC started its functioning on December 1.