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National Human Rights Commission Act-2009

Amendments necessary for watchdog's independence

Say eminent rights activists, jurists, professionals

Staff Correspondent
Eminent rights activists, jurists and professionals yesterday called for bringing necessary amendments to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act-2009 for ensuring NHRC's administrative and financial independence.
They also suggested empowering NHRC so that it can investigate human rights violation allegations against law enforcers. Currently, NHRC can only seek a report from the government over such allegations.
They also recommended incorporating civil society members in the selection committee which recommends persons for the posts of NHRC chairman and members.
Currently the seven-member selection committee comprises the Speaker, law and home ministers, Bangladesh Law Commission chairman, cabinet secretary and two lawmakers, from the opposition and ruling parties.
The recommendations came at a roundtable, organised by NHRC at a city hotel, on reviewing the act.
Moderating the roundtable, NHRC Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said NHRC had both failures and limitations but it was their responsibility to bring the necessary amendments so that their successors could work smoothly.
Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta said NHRC's effectiveness was fully dependent on the government's political commitment.
Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said though established by the government, NHRC was not a government organisation and the government could only work as a watchdog.
The NHRC chairman and members should be non-partisan and must work beyond political influences, he said.
Eminent rights activist Sultana Kamal said NHRC has been working with some limitations that shrunk its independence. She, however, thanked Mizanur for his efforts in protecting human rights.
She said things that restrict human rights should be pinpointed while everyone must work to strengthen NHRC.
The other proposals were amending the act's definition of human rights, setting a specific status for NHRC's honorary members and increase their numbers and increas-
ing budgetary allocation for NHRC and its manpower.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman, ASA University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dalem Chandra Barman, Information Commissioner Prof Sadeka Halim, rights activists Khushi Kabir, Salma Ali and Rokeya Kabir, Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Mohsen Rashid, Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Haque, Prof MM Akash and NHRC's lone fulltime member Kazi Reazul Hoque spoke, among others.