Human rights in Bangladesh

Human rights in Bangladesh are not properly protected. Our lives and properties are under constant threat. This has led to large-scale emigration of people to other countries, mostly the skilled and educated, who have no intention to return. Weak implementation of law and order has resulted in a state of near anarchy in our daily lives. Illegality has become a way of life where neither life nor property is safe. The killing of innocents, either by the bullet or bomb occurs with such regularity that it has almost become a normal phenomenon in our lives. This is Bangladesh, where our law enforcing agencies and security forces are constantly criticised by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Abuses of human rights include many unexpected happenings, such as, extra judicial summary execution, custodial torture, and where rights of minority groups are in a state of confusion where compromise is the only solution. All it means that there is no improvement in human rights. Human rights are violated in many different ways. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was established in Bangladesh in 2003. Such judiciary action through implementation of law and order are appreciated for its positive effect and are criticised for its negative action. Negative action of RAB operation includes extra judiciary killing by cross-fire, custodial torture, etc. For example, government always tries to defend that RAB has been doing an exemplary job in protecting the country's law and order situation. At the same time, the government tries to argue that RAB has been able to help us substantially cut social crime. But human rights groups claim that many of the RAB's actions are violating the human rights in the process of their implementation of law and order. There may be some reasons behind such violations including political, bribe culture, enmities, lack of experience and understanding, etc. Sometimes law enforcing agencies do torture the people under arrest during custodial interrogation. People have the fundamental right to hold and express their beliefs. Every society has some disturbing group. Extremists are always illogical and less than educated. They try to impose their belief on others. Sometimes extremists utilise the opportunity of punishing minorities for nothing. If such actions are not met with resistance, either by society or law enforcements agencies, then clearly there will be violation of human rights. Proper justice and protection of minority groups are not provided. This is clearly a violation of human rights. In Bangladesh, we are lacking in freedom of religion, expression and physical security. According to the experience earned in the real world, human rights are not perfectly protected. Violation of human rights is common more or less in all societies. We can try our best to protect the human rights to the maximum possible extent. The writer, Prof. Dr. Azizur Rahman, is Vice-Chancellor of Uttara University