DHAKA, Sept 28, 2024 (BSS) - Shipping, Textiles and Jute Adviser Brigadier General (Retired) M Sakhawat Hossain today sought cooperation of political parties to uphold human rights of all in the country.

"We must protect our all citizens... It is also your (political parties') duty to protect all citizens' rights," he said, speaking at a dialogue in the city.

Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) organized the dialogue on 'Human Rights' as part of its series programme titled 'Dialogue for Democratic Reconstruction' at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the city with CGS Chairperson Munira Khan in the chair.

Referring to reforming the police force, the adviser said the government has a plan to build the police as a humane force.

About the human rights violation by the AL government during the July-August uprising, he said, "If Hasina would have sustained for three or four days more, you would see me in her Aynaghar (secrete detention cell)".

He urged all political partied to assist the interim government in the process of state reform and sought required time and said, "We need support of every political party".

Noting that the civil society members are divided into many factions, the adviser stressed on building a united civil society.

He said that human rights violators must be tried.

"I took note of every point you presented here. I will communicate these to the concerned authorities of the government," he said.

CGS Executive Director Zillur Rahman moderated the event while Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Bobby Hajjaj, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) Executive Director Md Nur Khan, Gonoforum Executive President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, human rights activist Advocate Alena Khan, political analyst and journalist Ashraf Kaiser, G-9 General Secretary Dr. Shakhawat Hossain Sayantha, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan, Mayer Daak, a platform for family members of victims of enforced disappearances, Convener Sanjida Islam Tulee, Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party Joint Member Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuaad, political observer Saleh Ahmed, Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) General Secretary Rashed Khan, Jahangirnagar University (JU) student Tauhid Siam and Jagannath University (JnU) student Naima Akter Rita spoke at the dialogue, among others.

The speakers called for making the Human Rights Commission fully independent to protect human rights, saying that the existing commission is nothing but a subordinate institution of the government.

"If we can establish an empowered and absolutely independent human rights commission under a non-government initiative or trust or something else going out of the purview of the government's direct interference, we could get an effective institution," Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Bobby Hajjaj said.

He said the necessity of human rights commission reduces if all laws are enforced effectively and the law enforcement agencies as well as the judiciary can work properly.

But in reality, as the government institutions, they cannot criticize the government, Bobby said, adding therefore, there is a necessity of fully independent human rights commission so that the government cannot interfere in its works.

ASK Executive Director Md Nur Khan said the appointment process of the Human Rights Commission should be transparent and officials of the commission should be accountable for their responsibilities.

Referring to human rights violation during the fascist Awami League (AL) regime, he urged the government to preserve the places, including Aynaghar and other secret torture cells, where the people were killed and tortured by the law enforcement agencies and security intelligence officers, for the sake of justice.

CGS Chairperson Munira Khan applauded the interim government's steps for state reform, saying that the state should be reformed in such a way so that fascism can never return in the country.

GOP General Secretary Rashed Khan urged the government to file a case against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing her of mass killing.

Other speakers at the dialogue urged the government to bring to book all officials and people responsible for mass killing, torture and enforced disappearance from 2009 to 2014 so that such things never repeat in the country.

They suggested forming a police commission to transform the law enforcement agency into a people-friendly force.