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Human Rights Commission established in Bangladesh

1 September 2008

Commonwealth Secretariat plans to organise an orientation programme for new Commissioners once they are appointed

Bangladesh’s caretaker government has on 1 September 2008 established a Human Rights Commission. According to the President of Bangladesh, Dr Iajuddin Ahmed, this Commission will “play a significant role in establishing a culture of respect for human rights with the co-operation of all concerned including the civil society, the public and private organisations.”

Dr Ahmed added that “as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Bangladesh has been putting all endeavours through constructive dialogues with the international communities in fulfilling the issues of human rights.”

He also noted that the Ordinance that establishes the Commission is now effective and the government will ensure that the Commission is appointed as soon as possible to fulfil its obligations.

Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser to the Government, said: “I believe that the long aspired Commission will play a positive role towards the promotion and protection of the universal, inalienable and inherent human rights of all people in Bangladesh.”

Jarvis Matiya, Human Rights Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, who is currently in Dhaka discussing with senior government officials the process of establishing the Commission, commended the government.

He said the Secretariat is pleased that the Human Rights Commission has finally been established. “We are very keen to assist the Government of Bangladesh and support the process to ensure that it complies with international standards of human rights.”

The United Nations Development Programme’s Resident Representative, Renata Lok Dessallien, said that the coming into force of the Ordinance, or law, which established the Commission represents a further step towards protection of the rights of the citizens of Bangladesh.

Key functions of the Commission will, among other things, include investigations of individual complaints of human rights violations, promoting human rights awareness, advising and assisting government in the formulation of policy and legislation on human rights, and encourage ratification and implementation of international human rights treaties.

It is expected that the Commissioners will be appointed in the next few weeks. The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Forum for National Human Rights Institutions, has undertaken to organise an orientation programme for the new Commissioners once they are appointed.