Extrajudicial Killing: Stern action if allegations brought to govt notice
The government would take stern action against those involved in extrajudicial killings if such incidents were "brought to its notice", Law Minister Anisul Huq said yesterday.
“We believe extrajudicial killing is a great hindrance to establishing the rule of law,” he told a seminar marking International Human Rights Day at the Cirdap Auditorium in the capital.
The minister made the comment when he was asked about repeated allegations of extrajudicial killings.
The government is committed to establishing the rule of law, Anisul said while addressing as the chief guest at the seminar arranged by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
This year's slogan is “Stand up for Someone's Rights Today”.
The minister's comments came after Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) recently revealed that at least one person was killed on each day of November in so-called shootouts. The rights body had said 184 people were killed in “shootouts” in the last 11 months.
Emerging from the seminar, Anisul told journalists that the government was investigating the alleged incidents of people going missing and enforced disappearance.
“Whenever law enforcers receive information regarding such incidents, they will look into the matter,” he added.
Replying to a query, he said the special provision in the proposed Child Marriage Restraint Act-2016 will not create any obstacle to achieving the aim of eliminating the menace from the society.
The provision has been included, considering the “reality in our rural society”, he added.
The special provision allows marriage of girls under 18 years under "special circumstances".
Presenting the keynote paper, noted jurist M Amir-Ul Islam said the constitution mentions ensuring human rights through the enforcement of law but the tendency to break the law is evident everywhere.
“We need to come out of this,” he said, adding that rights bodies should address the issue.
He also stressed the need for making people more aware of their rights stated in the constitution.
NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque said although the government took initiatives to ensure human rights, but challenges remain as people were being subjected to serious rights violation in the forms of extrajudicial killings and custodial torture.
Nick Beresford, deputy country director of UNDP in Bangladesh, said it was needed to educate children about human rights at schools and make them aware of their rights at an early age.
Nazrul Islam, full-time member of the NHRC, among others, spoke at the seminar.
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