After almost two years in office, something of real
significance has been suggested by the chairman of the Bangladesh's National
Human Rights Commission. In the backdrop of increasing incidents of
disappearances, the worried NHRC chairman, Professor Mizanur Rahman has said
that 'Disappearances have emerged as a new trick of torturing citizens'
( HRC boss worried at
'disappearances' ).
Statistics compiled by rights group, Odhikar ( odhikar.org ) show that while the number of so-called cross-fire deaths has fallen
from 101 in 2010 to 44 during January to August 2011, number of abductions
reported during the same period has risen to two per month against 1.5 in the
previous year.
Invariably, victims are either ending up dead or remained untraceable. And, the most worrying thing is that security forces have
consistently denied any role in those disappearances while family members of
the victims have alleged that abductors have identified themselves as the
members of the security forces and the reasons given were execution of arrest
orders.
Now the NHRC
chief has urged the authorities to make it mandatory for security forces to
carry out all operations in uniforms.
The NHRC chief
is absolutely right that security forces should not be allowed to conduct any
operation, raid or arrest without uniform. The NHRC (http://www.nhrc.org.bd )should
also take steps to make the security agencies comply the existing rules of
producing any arrestee before a judicial magistrate within 24-hours.
In recent years
we have seen a very pro-active judiciary - especially some of the judges of
the Supreme Court taking keen interest in upholding the rule of law and human
dignity - be it stopping illegal land grabbing or forcing women to wear veils.
But, it is quite intriguing that none of them are taking any interest in
stopping these abuses of human rights and tortures by the security forces. Can
we expect some initiative on their part and a ruling banning all operations by
security forces without uniform and not producing them before a court within
the stipulated time frame?
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