Coordination between the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and different rights bodies is needed to defend people's rights in a greater way, said rights activists and civil society members at a programme yesterday.

They said NHRC needs to play a vibrant and active role in addressing different incidents of rights violation.

NHRC held the consultation programme on “Human Rights Up Front: Exploring Collaborations to Promote Human Rights in Bangladesh” at its office in the capital's Karwan Bazar.

NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Haque said, “If we combine our legal power with the knowledge and resources of different rights bodies, we will be able to reach a target.”

He said they have formed 10 thematic committees to address various rights issues. Headed by its members, he said, the committees consist of representatives of civil society and rights organisations, state institutions, academia, development and intergovernmental agencies.

The thematic areas are: women's rights; Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs; Dalits, Hijra and other excluded minorities; business and human rights and CSR; persons with disability and autism; migrant workers' rights and anti-trafficking; economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights; elderly people's rights; committee for protection of religious and ethnic minorities and non-citizens rights; and committee for child rights, child labour and child protection.

Welcoming the initiative, Educationist Rasheda K Chowdhury said NHRC's collaboration will help the rights bodies strengthen their voices.

Salma Ali of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori, Zakir Hossain of Nagorik Uddyog, and Sanjeeb Drong of Bangladesh Adibasi Forum, among others, spoke.