Staff Correspondent
The Human Rights Forum on Universal Periodic Review, a coalition of 17 rights organisations, on Sunday called on the government to make specific pledges to ensure human rights through discussions in the parliament.
At a briefing at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, they also alleged the foreign minister, Dipu Moni, failed to describe the state of human rights in Bangladesh in the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The United Nations Human Rights Council, recently held in Geneva, reviewed the state of human rights in Bangladesh from 2004 to 2008 under the Universal Periodic Review.
Dipu Moni, in her report on behalf of the government, failed to specify steps for the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tract Peace Treaty, ensuring human rights, the forum convener, Sultana Kamal, also a former adviser to the caretaker government, said.
The foreign minister also failed to specify the steps for holding war crimes trial, she said.
The UN council has made some initial proposals on the human rights states in Bangladesh after the review which would adopted in the United States Human Rights Council’s session scheduled for June.
The Human Rights Forum demanded the proposals should be in the parliament for discussions. The government should give concrete assurances for the implementation of the proposals, holding discussions with the human rights organisations and civil society actors and formation of a parliamentary standing committee on human rights.
Human Rights Forum leader Sayeed Ahmed addressed the briefing and Ramjan Karmaker gave a introductory speech. Iftekharuzzaman, Sara Hossain, Zakir Hossain and Farida Yesmin attended.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
