‘Crossfire’ Killings
HRC chief doubts ‘self-defence’ claim
Only the judiciary can determine whether self-defence is a reason for law enforcers to commit extra-judicial killings, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said yesterday.
“There have been claims that law enforcers shoot in self-defence. Only the judiciary can determine if such shootings were done in self-defence,” Mizanur told reporters after the inauguration of a Commonwealth seminar at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.
The foreign affairs ministry and Commonwealth Secretariat jointly organised the two-day regional seminar for Asia and Europe as a follow up of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) under the UN Human Rights Council.
The government should probe all unnatural deaths and if anyone is found guilty of misusing the law, the person must be brought to book, he said.
The NHRC chief’s remark came amid widespread allegations of extra-judicial killings by law enforcers.
Though mandated, the commission is unable to probe such allegations due to shortage of manpower. The government has pledged to provide the commission with necessary facilities but it has yet to take any initiative.
Mizanur said the home ministry should investigate the allegations as long as the commission lacks necessary facilities. “I would request the home ministry to do the job and publish reports.”
The NHRC chairman said the commission has relentlessly tried to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the incidents of unnatural deaths and torture in custody.
The commission is also focusing on detention of accused without trial for a long period, inhumane living condition in prisons and sorry state of public hospitals, he said.
Complaints of human rights violations to the commission have gone up significantly. But the NHRC requires an appropriate institutional and functional framework to probe the allegations and make recommendations.
Acting Foreign Secretary Mustafa Kamal said Bangladesh is committed to protect and promote human rights and has been at the global forefront in demonstrating its engagement with UN human rights institutions.
Dr Purna Sen from the Commonwealth Secretariat said the Universal Periodic Review is a platform where the member countries, human rights commissions and non-governmental organisations can have a dialogue and share experience in protecting rights and evaluate their performance.
Officials from commonwealth nations including Brunei, Cyprus, India, Malta, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and UK, and also from the Commonwealth Secretariat are attending the seminar.
