Suggests rights commission
The National Human Rights Commission yesterday sought a separate investigation cell to look into human rights violations in Bangladesh.
NHRC Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman suggested this while revealing its draft five-year plan to prevent human rights violations.
“The commission will produce recommendations before the government after monitoring human-rights-violation incidents. So, we need researchers and an investigation cell,” Mizanur told reporters after the programme held at a city hotel.
The commission through the strategic plan wants to establish a culture and a society where the human rights violations by state mechanisms would be considered a thing of the past and state officials would be accountable.
According to the plan, the commission in the next five years will focus on institutional development of the NHRC, raise human rights awareness, research, monitor and investigate human rights violations by state mechanisms and violence against women and children.
Former chief of human rights commission of New Zealand Peter Hosking placed a brief description of the plan through a power-point presentation. He assisted the commission for the last two weeks to prepare the plan.
The commission wants to establish an effective, efficient and credible commission, make sure people are aware of human rights, significantly reduce human-rights violations by state mechanisms, and make state officials aware of their responsibilities.
Prof Mizanur said to achieve the goals in five years, the commission seeks cooperation from the government, state agencies and the civil society.
During the presentation, Hosking said the commission has almost no technical staff and lacks infrastructure and logistics.
Speaking as the chief guest, Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said the NHRC should not wait for the complaints of human-rights violations. When the commission sees any signs of violations, it should go and look into it, he added.
The minister said the government would provide all out cooperation to the commission to achieve its goals.
Bangladesh Country Director of UNDP Stefan Priesner termed the plan a milestone for NHRC.
