Lax in publishing probe reports dents HR situation

Advocate Sultana Kamal addresses a programme at the National Press Club in the city yesterday. On her right is Khushi Kabir and on her left is Ayesha Khanam.Photo: STAR

The government's reluctance in publishing probe reports on extra-judicial killings and punishing the offenders has been the key impediment to improving human rights situation in the country, observed rights bodies.
Human Rights Forum (HRF), a group of 17 human rights organisations that prepared a summary report for the United Nations (UN) on the country's human rights situation, yesterday said this.
At a programme titled 'UPR Report Sharing at the National Level' held at the National Press Club the HRF said it would present the report to the UN soon.
Human rights organisations yesterday expressed this while revealing the summary report that would be presented to the UN soon. The UPR (Universal Periodic Review) is prepared by governments and NGOs of member countries of the UN every four years to be submitted to the UN.
The HRF in its summary report said several past governments failed to put a stop to the culture of unaccountability.
The forum pointed out a number of concerns that are causing hindrance to the improvement of human rights in Bangladesh. A few of the key areas of concern are citizens' rights, political rights, minority rights, economic and social rights, women's rights, workers' rights, rights of the disabled, institutional protection of human rights and the progress in implementation of international human rights accords.
Mass arrest drives, mass filing of cases against thousands and the prolongation of the state of emergency were also mentioned as areas of concern.
Advocate Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain o Shalish Kendra, presided over the session.
Human rights situation in the country is not satisfactory, she said adding that in Bangladesh "human rights violations take place in the form of extra-judicial killings, torture of the minority and indigenous people, repression on women at homes and workplaces."
Ayesha Khanam, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said the country witnessed improvements in some areas, but that did not help improve the human rights situation in the country significantly.
Sayeed Ahmed, coordinator of the forum, presented the summary report. Khushi Kabir of Nijera Kori, Mohammad Mojibur Rahman of BILS, Zakir Hossain of Nagorik Udyog and Mesbah Kamal of RDC also spoke on the occasion.