UNB, Dhaka :Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Mizanur Rahman on Sunday urged the government to take steps to make the Commission fully independent.”Mere creation of an institution like the NHRC is probably not enough… it needs to be supported so that the commission’s independence is ensured,” he said.The NHRC chairman was addressing the inaugural session of a consultation meeting on the National Human Rights Commission’s 2nd Draft Strategic Plan (2016-2020) at Cirdap Auditorium in the capital. Dr Mizan insisted that the commission cannot be made of international standard without its full independence and the compliance of basic principles.”If you (govt) don’t give us 32 teeth, at least 16 teeth must be given to the National Human Rights Commission so that we can bite from time to time,” he said. The NHRC chief said the Commission needs more support from the government as well as the international community to strengthen its capacity.About the Felani murder case, he said: “We’re highly inspired and encouraged by the development of the fact that the Indian Supreme Court has directed their government to start a fresh probe into the Felani case.The 13-year-old girl was shot dead by the Border Security Forces (BSF) in the northern part of Bangladesh. And in two rounds of trial, the parents of Felani did not get justice.”Expressing his gratitude to the National Human Rights Commission of India, he said the Indian Commission also influenced their Supreme Court, particularly on the Felani case, to issue the directives so that justice is delivered. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki, Nepal’s NHRC member Justice Prakash Chandra Sharma Osti, India’s NHRC member Justice Shri Darmar Murugesan and UN resident coordinator Robert D Watkins also spoke at the meeting.
