The home ministry has directed all the chiefs of its departments and the law enforcement agencies to take special measures to protect human rights.
The ministry had issued a directive to the heads of police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, Ansar, passport and immigration, fire service, and the department of narcotics, home ministry sources said. The home ministry’s directive comes at a time when human rights organisations across the world have raised questions about the activities of a section of law enforcement agency personnel.
The directive said: “It is the demand of time to protect human rights, by ensuring good governance. It is possible to ensure human rights and good governance, by changing the attitudes of officials and employees of all the departments of the home ministry. The officials and employees of the departments have to show respect, with the willingness to ensure human rights, which will help increase economic growth of the country.”
According to a top official of the home ministry, all members of government organisations, especially the law enforcement agencies and the service sectors, have to show respect and honour to all the citizens, and not violate people’s human rights.
“The authorities concerned should impart necessary training on human rights to their personnel,” he said.
Hassan Mahmood Khandker, inspector-general of police (IGP), earlier told The Independent that lessons on human rights had been included in the syllabus of the foundation training programme for members of the police force and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). “Besides, members of the law enforcement agencies are being trained by different international human rights organisations,” he said.
Director-general of BGB, Major General Aziz Ahmed, said that a training manual had been incorporated in the syllabus of the foundation training programme of the paramilitary force.
“BGB personnel have received training to uphold human rights, while discharging their duties in the border areas. We’ve not received any report about violation of human rights by the border guards,” he said.
Director-general of RAB, Md Mukhlesur Rahman, said that his men do not violate human rights, by any means. “We have provided training on human rights to RAB members, who are inducted into the elite force, from other forces,” he said.
Sources said that the government had already introduced training programmes on human rights for law enforcement agencies, including the BGB, police, RAB and the Coast Guard.
This training was being provided by local and international rights organisations, such as, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the sources said.
-With The Independent input
