UNB, Dhaka :
Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Mizanur Rahman on Sunday asked the law enforcers, including the elite force RAB, to work sincerely showing respect to the rule of law and human rights.
“Be careful. Though we’ve not been given the investigating power, but we’re not a paper tiger either. We already proved it through our activities,” he said addressing the first session of a seminar, ‘Strengthening Police Accountability in Bangladesh: Challenges and strategies’.
The NHRC and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), India, jointly organized the seminar at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.
About the alleged involvement of three ex-RAB officers in connection with the recent abduction and killing of seven people in Naryanganj, Dr Mizanur Rahman said that if the policymakers or top officials of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had closely worked
with the NHRC and also followed the recommendations given by the commission, the gruesome incident might not have occurred.
“We believe that if the elite force RAB had worked with us closely and also followed our recommendations, they would not have faced the critical moment,” he said.
The NHRC chairman said: “We are passing through such a critical moment when the activities of the law enforcers, especially of RAB, have raised a serious question in the minds of the general people.
“Its true the police have to work with limitations of money and lack of logistic and other support. But they can still work with more accountability,” he added.
Mentioning that the police of neighboring countries have been working with more efficiency and accountability despite same limitations, Dr Mizanur Rahman asked: “Why is it that our police could not perform in a similar manner?” Meanwhile, talking to reporters on the sideline of the seminar, NHRC chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman admitted that the country’s law and order situation has been deteriorating, which is a serious threat to human rights.
He criticized the Home Ministry for not taking prompt action after the Naryanganj incident.
Dr Mizanur Rahman said: “Eight suspected killers have already been arrested as the Home Ministry took rapid action in respect to the killing of Fulgazi Upazila chairman Ekramul Haque.
