Speakers at a webinar on Friday demanded that the National Human Rights Commission be made effective by amending the laws in order to protect the human rights in the country.
“We’ve a human rights commission in Bangladesh, which is not effective. We want the commission to be made effective by amending the laws,” said Justice Kazi Ebadul Hoque while chairing the event.
The United Nations Association of Bangladesh (UNAB) arranged the virtual seminar in observance of the 73rd Anniversary of Universal Human Rights Day declared by the United Nations.
This year, the Human Rights Day was observed with the theme of “Equality- Reducing inequalities and Advancing Human Rights” across the world on Friday.
Justice Kazi Ebadul, also the UNAB President, said human rights are violated by both the government and individuals in Bangladesh.
“If the nationals of the country become conscious over the protection of human rights, the situation of human rights would be strengthened. Otherwise, it is difficult to protect human rights,” he said.
Noting that there are two parts of human rights –-civil and political rights; and economic and cultural rights, he said the civil and political rights were largely discussed and the second part remained neglected in the past.
But now attention is shifting to economic and cultural rights as equality was picked as the theme of the day this year, said the UNAB President.
“In order to protect human rights effectively in the country, it’ll have to follow the rights in all institutions from schools to colleges, universities and workplaces,” said Justice Kazi Ebadul.
Advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze, Chairperson of Foundation for Law & Development, said the practice of human rights needs to begin from home. Otherwise the people can’t practice the rights in the society.
“If we can’t ensure the practice of human rights in every stage of the society starting from home, it would not be possible to attain equality, which is the theme of the Human Rights Day 2021,” she said.
Advocate Hasan Shaheed Ferdous and Prof MS Siddiqui, among others, spoke at the seminar conducted by SIM Shadman Sheikh.
Source: United News of Bangladesh