THE High Court in a full verdict about a writ petition relating to torture of domestic help Khadiza, 12, by her employer in 2013 said on Wednesday that the law made the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) a ‘toothless tiger’ to some extent. The court also said that the law enforcing agencies, RAB and police in particular, were allegedly the main violators of human rights, as alleged in the press. The Human Rights Commission is helpless like many other institutions, including the judiciary. The government is violating most human rights by abusing the law through empowering the police, RAB and other law enforcing agencies.
The High Court has observed that the NHRC has shown negligence and dereliction of duty in failing to ensure justice for victims of human rights abuse, especially in the case of the brutal torture of domestic help Khadiza. The court observed that the NHRC had been “sleeping with eyes wide open.” It said no excuse could justify such negligence and abdication of responsibility and the delay by the Commission in discharging this particular case.
The police have been made one of the most visible bureaucratic supports of the government. As such the government has bent over backwards to give the police basically unconditional immunity to carry out acts with impunity. This is the main reason why the police are abusing their authority in such instances.
The problem is not with the law but with the activities of the police who are mandated but do not desire to become active to the several apparatus created by the law. As stated above the negligence by the Commission in this case is glaring. The police failed to file a case to protect the victim and directly engaged in activities which led to the delay and denial of justice to the unfortunate Khadiza.
Human rights and constitutional rights have lost their meaning in Bangladesh. Neither the government leadership nor the opposition leadership human rights or fundamental rights have special significance. That is why we find blaming the Commission is not fully justified but even in difficult times Human Rights Commission have to be conscious of its obligation. If they are totally inactive it has no right to exist.
