Editorial
On human rights
Move to form national watchdog body is welcome
The government's decision, in principle, to form a National Human Rights Commission ought to come as positive news for the country. And it does, owing to the growing concerns about, together with an awareness of, human rights issues in Bangladesh in recent times. The irony here is that a job that should have been accomplished by a political government has now been undertaken by a caretaker administration. Beyond the irony, though, lies a strong argument as to why there is today a fundamental need to ensure that institutional arrangements are in place for a safeguarding of rights. What is now required is a framing of the rules upon which the proposed NHRC will function. Here the instance of the Anti-Corruption Commission becomes relevant in that the proposed human rights body needs to have a well-defined organogram that will enable it to be manned to public satisfaction. Briefly, idea must translate into action. The human rights question assumes critical importance considering the battering some very basic citizens' rights have received from time to time. The many deaths which have occurred in 'crossfire' have over a period of months agitated the public mind, given especially the fact that the actual circumstances behind such deaths have never been satisfactorily explained. Indeed, those under whose watch these tragic incidents occurred saw little reason to comprehend the truth that the deaths of citizens in such questionable conditions were a negation of fundamental rights. Add to that the frenzy with which mass arrests were resorted to in a trampling of political dissent, an act that clearly contravenes not merely the law but a whole principle of morality as well. In a society that calls itself democratic or aspires to democracy, any restrictions on the movements of people are a gross overturning of the ideas that go into constituting a decent social and political order. It is against this unhappy background that we welcome the move towards the formation of a national human rights body. We understand that a committee will initially look into the details relating to the proposed commission. It will remain our expectation that this aspect of the human rights-related work of the caretaker administration will be accomplished without undue loss of time and that the real business of a setting up of the human rights commission will be set in motion. An essential underpinning for the proposed commission must be its absolute, guaranteed independence from the executive. Since the human rights commission may be perceived as another step toward a reform of the political process, it makes sense to inform the government that the commission must not come tied to the apron strings of any political authority. The nation will wait, to see if its understanding of a defence of human rights matches the plans the caretaker government has about the proposed commission.
|
|
