National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman, on Sunday, said India had staged a drama, in the name of Felani murder trial, to uphold its image internationally.
“We have been deprived of fair justice in the Felani murder trial,” he said. Rahman told this to reporters after a seminar on ‘Oppression and intimidation on minority in Bangladesh: Causes and way out’, organised by Coalition for Communal Harmony, Bangladesh (CCHB), at R Majumder Auditorium in the city. Columnist Syed Abul Maksud was in the chair.
“When somebody confesses to a crime and is acquitted, it sends a wrong message that anybody can get impunity in future, even after shooting Bangladeshi citizens on the border, like Felani. The unarmed and innocent citizens living in the border area will face a sense of insecurity now,” said Rahman.
Asked as to why the killing of Bangladeshi citizens on the Bangladesh-India border is not stopped, he said, “We are failing to place our speech strongly before India. We have to give them a warning that if such killings are not stopped, we would go to an international forum.”
He added that India should stop such killings for the sake of friendly relations between the two countries.
About the discrimination of the minorities, he said political commitment is necessary to stop this. “When we see discrimination in Dhaka University, it can easily be said what the condition in other places is. We have to change the political behaviour to end discrimination. We have to create an environment for it,” he said.
Among others, Nazmul Islam Babu, MP, Nilufer Chowdhury Moni, MP, professor Dr Ajoy Roy, professor Dr Zia Rahman of Dhaka University, convener of Nagorik Oikya, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, assistant editor of Prothom Alo, Sohrab Hasan, professor Golam Rahman, associate professor of Dhaka University, Robayet Ferdous, president of CCHB, Sheikh Shafiul Islam, and Rajib Mir, also spoke on the occasion.
Professor Gobinda Chakraborty and Satya Ranjan Barai presented two separate keynote papers on the occasion.
Nazmul Islam Babu urged all to work together to defend the rights of people. All have to come forward to build a state free of communal discrimination, said Nilufer Chowdhury Moni.
“Forgetting party affiliations, we have to take a stand against the injustice and discrimination done towards the minorities. If we can do this, incidents like Ramu won’t happen,” said Manna.
-With The Independent input
