NHRC chief condemns police's action

The law enforcement agencies that hand over a citizen to criminals cannot establish human rights and protect the country's people, said National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Mizanur Rahman yesterday.
Referring to the recent news that a sub-inspector had handed over a detained man to criminals in exchange for money in Gazipur on May 29, he said the government should ensure that the police personnel had delivered better services before getting promoted.
Prof Mizanur made the remarks at a seminar in the capital's Jatiya Press Club.
Nagorik Uddyog, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, and Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Women's Federation jointly organised the seminar titled “Policy and legal structure to stop existing practices of discrimination to Dalit communities and keeping them untouchable."
The NHRC chief said a country where human rights were violated could not be said to reflect the spirit of the Liberation War because freedom fighters had fought against Pakistani rulers for the protection of human rights.
“Human rights are a combination of equality, social justice and human dignity, and the Liberation War took place to ensure these rights of all citizens. As our state has failed to ensure these rights of Dalit communities, we can say our country has kept from the spirit of the Liberation War,” he said.
Advocate Sultana Kamal, former adviser to a caretaker government and a rights activist, said the ruling government claimed to cherish the spirit of the Liberation War, so it should take steps to ensure the rights of the Dalit.
President of Workers' Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon said that although the government had amended the constitution to restore the spirit of the Liberation War, it failed to take proper measures for the protection of the Dalit and include them in the mainstream of the population.