NHRC chief demands fast investigation on HR violations

National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday demanded speedy legal actions on sensational murders, forced disappearances and human rights violations by law enforcers in recent times.

The commission also requested the minister to consider its recommendations and observations when promoting police officials, and the minister accepted the proposal, said Prof Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the commission.

The full commission led by its chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman met Home Minister Sahara Khatun at the latter’s secretariat office in the capital and placed a list of around 20 incidences of murders, forced disappearances and recent police assaults on journalists and women.

Notable human rights issues that featured in the meeting included the gruesome murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, and labour leader Aminul Islam and forced disappearance of opposition leader M Elias Ali.

The minister attributed ‘procrastination’ to the repeated changes of investigating agencies into murders of Sagar-Runi, said Prof Rahman, while talking to the journalists following the ministerial meeting.

Regarding police assaults, he said that some overzealous law enforcers perpetrated human rights violation incidents.

“We urged the government to complete the investigation into each incident of murders and human rights violations as fast as possible,” said Rahman.

The commission also referred to Amnesty International and US State Department reports on the human rights status quo in Bangladesh, he said adding that those bodies expressed grave concern over all incidents.

News Source:  The Daily Star