Sagar Biswas :
Getting apparently ‘no response’ from the Home Ministry about specific allegations against law enforcement agency members regarding increasing incidents of human rights violation, the National Human Rights Commission [NHRC] has decided to bring the matter to President’s attention.
According to information available, the NHRC has sent letters to the Home Ministry seeking reports on human rights violation on 185 incidents — particularly abduction, force disappearance and extra-judicial killing. But it has not got any response.
“We’ll inform the matter to the President. The NHRC is a State organization. We’ve got the right to seek report from Home Ministry on human violations. The government service holders are accountable to the people. If they fail to accomplish their duty, stern action should be taken against them,” Chairman of NHRC Kazi Reazul Hoque told The New Nation on Sunday night.
The NHRC Chief said, “As the President is the Head of the state, he can taken decision about what action will be taken. If the President thinks, he can send the matter in the Parliament.”
Despite increasing incidents of human rights violations, including abduction, force disappearance and extra-judicial killing; the NHRC has allegedly failed to take any effective steps to deal with the matter.
Although the NHRC Chief has expressed anxiety at the increasing number of human rights violation incidents across the country, in fact the commission was able to investigate four incidents only in the ongoing year.
Interestingly, the NHRC tried to shift blame on the shoulders of the law enforcement agencies, especially the Home Ministry, alleging that they do not bother four letters to the Home Ministry in 2012, 10 in 2013, 53 in 2014, 73 in 2015, 16 in 2016 and 29 in 2017. Even, it sent a letter compiling all the allegations to the same Ministry in February this year. And surprisingly, in most cases the Ministry failed to response.
In this backdrop, the NHRC has taken further initiatives to prepare another list of allegations with update information in a bid to send to the Home Ministry and police headquarters.
Expressing annoyance, the NHRC Chairman said, “It is a total failure of Home Ministry. It seems, the Home Ministry doesn’t do any work. Whereas, they are bound to give report to the NHRC.”
“If we seek any report about specific allegations against any member/members of police and other law enforcement agencies, the Home Ministry doesn’t pay any heed. In this regard, they are violating the country’s existing law. Now, the state will take action,” he said.
It is learnt that most of the allegations have been raised against the members of law enforcement agencies in the cases of abduction and other human rights violations. In these cases, the Home Ministry seeks report from concerned police stations. It’s a funny thing that the Officers-in-Charge often submit their reports giving ‘clean chit’ to the accused law enforcement agency members.
There are widespread allegations that the NHRC seeing no other alternative now has become busy with meetings and seminars instead of playing positive role in resisting increasing incidents of human rights violation. The NHRC Chairman, however, denied the allegation.
