'Address minority rights issue in regional context'

Looking at the issue in the context of any particular country will not provide the full perspective of minority repression and human rights violations, they observed.

The Organisation to Safeguard Human Rights arranged the seminar on 'Protection of minority rights in the South Asian sub-continent' at the National Press Club.

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The issue of human rights is critical not only for Bangladesh, but also for the welfare of all the countries in the region, said former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed as special guest.

"All the countries in the South Asian region must raise their voices in the same manner and proportion whenever an incident of human rights violation takes place," he said.

Although Bangladesh has a tradition of communal harmony, Prof Ahmed said, there is no denial of the fact that there are some cases of minority rights infringements.

In the wake of communal massacre in the Indian state of Gujrat and recent inhuman atrocities on the Muslims in Thailand, the hue and cry was not raised in the same proportion as seen in case of minority repression in Bangladesh, said Advocate Badruddin Ahmed.

Justice Abdul Bari Sarker, Advocate Jahangir Alam Khan and special correspondent of the daily Inqilab Mobaidur Rahman also spoke at the seminar presided over by Organisation's Chairman Advocate Abu Salek.