Dhaka:The first meeting of the newly formed Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Peace of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad took place at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban today. The meeting was chaired by Caucus President Fahima Nasrin, MP, with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, a patron of the caucus, in attendance.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the caucus members, including Humam Quader Chowdhury, Sayeed Al Noman, Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem, Mohammad Nazibur Rahman, Md Abul Hasnat, Jahrat Adib Chowdhury, Sanjida Islam, and Anna Minz, participated in the meeting. The session began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a minute of silence in memory of victims of enforced disappearances, killings, and extrajudicial killings.
Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal spoke at the meeting, highlighting the caucus's mission to identify those responsible for past human rights violations and to work toward preventing future occurrences. He emphasized the importance of not allowing human rights violators to misrepresent themselves as victims and urged the executive branch to support the caucus's initiatives impartially.
He also noted that this is the first time such a parliamentary caucus has been formed in Bangladesh and encouraged members to collaborate to establish it as an effective platform. The Deputy Speaker called for coordinated efforts involving multiple ministries to build a robust institutional framework for the caucus.
Caucus President and members stressed the importance of expanding activities by engaging with national and international human rights organizations, institutions, and universities. They advocated for organizing meetings, seminars, and research activities, ensuring active participation from caucus members. The members expressed optimism that the caucus would aid in ensuring a transparent and accountable government and an impartial judicial system for future generations.
Officials from the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat and the ministries of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Home Affairs were also present at the meeting.