A special bulletin on the occasion of Human Rights Day 2010

SUS Bulletin

(A special bulletin on the occasion of Human Rights Day 2010)

“We are responsible for bringing ahead the culture of Human Rights”.

-Sultana Kamal

Ex. Advisor, Caretaker Government and

Executive Director, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK)

If it is asked to me that I have to show direction, I feel embarrass for the reason that I am not sure that how much I am capable of doing so. Secondly, I think ethically that it is not the matter of giving direction to anyone here. Now, it is the time to go towards the way of human rights through mutual understanding by considering the feelings and intelligence. At first, I say, I have become astonished that Rokeya Apa (Elder sister) has enabled to do the work and Roushan Apa also has attended here, they have enabled to bring here a law maker, deputy commissioner, police super and a mayor. I think that it is a great achievement that the representatives of the state have come forward to say about human rights. They have come here to meet you all. I think that is a big progress which we did not see during Pakistan regime, during autocratic government and during non-democratic system. In fact, we can demand today that they have got energy from civil society who are working with human rights. We have enabled to bring the higher authorities of government and it is said here about direction, a question comes here that how much we have established human rights as our demands. We wil claim from that view, we are the citizen of the country and the “Citizens are the main custodians of rights”. The members of parliament (MP) and government administrators are the representatives of the citizen. So, main actors are civil society. We want to perform our duties properly and we have given special responsibilities to our representatives and they will do so. Because they are sitting there. We feel proud today that honorable MP is with us here. When he came to you for casting your vote in favor of him, he said to you that he will work to establish human rights, he said that everybody will lead their lives with dignity and rights.We can ask him today. We will listen from him that what he is thinking as a law maker, as an MP. The deputy commissioner (DC) and police super are also here. We have given you responsibilities and you will keep your mind that people can lead their lives with peace and this is called direction. We will also look upon us. We are saying, “May eradicate all forms of discriminations, may establish human rights”. How it will be eradicated? How it will be established? Will it come from air? If we look upon us, we have to think. We are sitting here and we all sit for arbitration, we bring the people in police custody and torture them, we torture to our family members who help us in household works, we torture the minorities, we want to take the land of weak persons. These are the pictures of human rights today. When the people abroad listen about that we kill those children who work at home, we kill the people in police custody, we kill people through cross-fire, the people abroad never think about who is rulling the country, who is the deputy commissioner, who is the SP, who is the MP – they only say what type of country this is? We become focused in this way that we are the citizen of this country where human rights status is very poor and low. We are responsible to change the negative attitude especially the members of human rights protection council, who are committed to keep the human rights. So, we will keep the human rights in our mind, to make it qualitative, to highlight the culture of human rights. We will keep the rights of citizen and will keep the dignity of the people. Our selected representatives sign in any agreement on behalf of us. We all are responsible to bring ahead the culture of human rights. We will unite together and protest the violence of human rights. Those who are sitting here at stage, you are responsible to stop all forms of violence. We pay tax. We bear al expenses for execution of their duties fro our income. We do for that they will work for us. It is the matter of system. But main responsibilities depend on all citizens. For this reason, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) thinks that all the citizens are human rights defenders. Why I am human rights defender? Because I am human beings. My human rights is my own asset. Nobody keeps the rights to take away my rights. While I am saying that I am human being, I preserve some sorts of responsibilities. I am the bearer and preserver of human rights. It is a great matter here that they stand in front the state those who work for human rights. Because violation of human rights mostly occur by the state. But who is the state? Confusion grows inside us. Because we think that a state consists of government, administration as well as people. We are the vital part of the state. When a state violates human rights and we sit silently, we can not avoid responsibilities of violation. You have included with human rights preservation council, because we have felt the matter as conscious persons. You are sitting here from the morning. I have seen that you were standing by avoiding the sunshine. You have marched through a rally. You are  listening the speeches of r speakers. Because you are committed towards human rights. I think at a responsible person do not breech his/her commitment. The concept of human rights does not come from western countries. If we remember about Begum Rokeya, Sufia Kamal and others who told about dignity and rights of human beings. Fakir Lalon Shah was the man of this soil. In this soil, we have told that there is no her truth than human beings. Nobody teaches us. We have learnt goddess ‘Durga’ came to the earth and was examining the people. She came to t he side of the river. The boatman was sitting on the boat. The goddess told that I am a beggar, I have no money. Would you please help me to cross the river. The boatman did this by considering her miserable condition. Then she exposed herself and told the boatman, what you want? The boatman wanted,  “My children may lead their with rice and milk”.  This type of story of a simple boatman exists in our culture. So, we have no matter of worried. If we find out this type of story. If we are able to know the true culture. If we claim us as human beings and know us as the inheritance of freedom fight. Culture of  human rights in Bangladesh will come again. It is only possible by us. We will do this all together. Of course, we will do. Thank you all. 

“Man will get their rights

If truth comes out”.

-Ashraf Ali Khan

Honorable Member of Parliament (MP)

The country was ruled in a diverted way although we got a new independent country 1971 by 24 years in colonial rule after releasing from British regime. After releasing from Pakistani jail and came to Bangladesh, the father of the nation said, “People of this country has given their blood, they have freed the country”. Now my duty is to reform the country. At first, Bangabondhu fixed up the ceiling of the land upto 25 bigha (1 bigha = 33 decimal). He decided to distribute surplus lands among the poor. When he was enabled to bring revolution in education, agriculture and industrial sectors, he was killed by few misguided armies of in 1975. Khodoker Mustaque and Jiaur Rahman stopped justice by making an indemnity law. Human rights have been violated from that time. On the other hand, Bangladesh was ruled by the military for a long period. Later on, Awamileague government cancelled the indemnity law. Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabodhu wanted to get the justice through law. At last, verdict of Bangabodhu killing has been completed. The justice of jail killing is under process. Human rights has been violated through granite attack on 21 August 2004, and many other occurrences. Democracy will be established, mobilized people towards democracy, democratic rights will be established with a view to march a nation. If the human rights preservation workers tell true, meetings in different places will not be needed. Man will get their justice and rights, if truth comes out. In this country, we want democratic government again and again, we want the government with feelings of 1971, we want the government who agreed with 1972 constitution, who wants to establish 1972 constitution. If it happens, the rights of people will be preserved. They have to come into power again and again  who believe in democracy, who agree with the revolution of  independence to constitution of 1972. As a result, human rights will be established in this country.

“It is the time to stand up against all forms of injustice”

-Aroma Datta

Honorable member, National Human Rights Commission

The name of the place is Netrakona. Netrakona is certainly the corner of eye. So, everybody sees the area with corner of the eyes. So far I know, this district is very much neglected. Here many facts of proud also exist. Many revolutions in British period including revolution of independence have come from here. Many important persons have born here. I think, you are the followers of them. It is very important that Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) and Ain O Salish Kendra jointly have formed Human Rights Protection Council. Violation of human rights are happening all the times, so we, the human rights workers never stay at home and it will not be possible to stay at home in future. For this reason, government and non-government institutions and media are very much active. Constitution of 1972 has been violated mostly. When the country has become independent by sacrificing 30 lucks lives, when the constitution has become hijacked, we have become activated that time. The society is going to rotten. We see that human rights is being violated everywhere. It is very regret that torture has been happening for dowry, poor are very much deprived in all aspects and the women and children are the main victims of violence. I think, human rights protection council stand up against violence as example. They will stand up against all forms of injustice. In 1971, everybody goes to the war by the speech of Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. There was no need to arrange meeting like today. Now, it is the time to stand up against injustice. Subash Basu and Gandhiji said, stand up from each of the home. Bangabondhu said, make barrier in each of the home. I think that this cancer will be eradicated and stand up from homes by keeping own responsibilities. I aspect, this council will bring us far and far.

History of human rights

The idea of human rights, that is the notion that anyone has a set of inviolable rights simply on grounds of being human regardless of legal status, origin or conviction for crimes, emerges as an idea of Humanism in the Early Modern period and becomes a position in the 18th century Age of Enlightenment.

Some notions of righteousness present in ancient law and religion is sometimes retrospectivelyincluded under the term "human rights". While Enlightenment philosophers suggest a secular social contract between the rulers and the ruled, ancient traditions derived similar conclusions from notions of divine law, and, in Hellenistic philosophy, natural law

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a non-binding declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, partly in response to the barbarism of World War II. The UDHR urges member nations to promote a number of human, civil, economic and social rights, asserting these rights are part of the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world". The declaration was the first international legal effort to limit the behavior of states and press upon them duties to their citizens following the model of the rights-duty duality.

The UDHR was framed by members of the Human Rights Commission, with Eleanor Roosevelt as Chair, who began to discuss an International Bill of Rights in 1947.

The document was structured by Cassin to include the basic principles of dignity, liberty, equality and brotherhood in the first two articles, followed successively by rights pertaining to individuals; rights of individuals in relation to each other and to groups; spiritual, public and political rights; and economic, social and cultural rights.

Slogan of the year

The slogan of human Rights Day 2010 is “Stand up against discrimination” The human rights defenders stand up against all forms of violence and discrimination. They stand in favor of justice and save the people affected by the violence of human rights. They claim the transparency and accountability of government activities. The human rights defenders are working at national and international level individually as well as jointly.

Rights and Governance program of SUS

SUS believes that both need-based and rights-based approaches should be carried out in mission to realize its vision of a harmonious society. SUS has been working since 1986 for establishing vision of “People live in a society with dignity and justice”. Firstly, SUS started to implement different types of program like social development, micro-finance, education, health, trade & marketing for human development. From the long experience to work with grass root level people, SUS realized that it is not possible to achieve real development for community people through only service-oriented activities. From this realization, SUS has been starting to work by right-based approach.

Development is a continuous process. Human rights and necessity of law are important and recognized issues in the world. SUS has started a new program “Rights and Governance” to bring equal gender in the society by increasing access into justice and decreasing ferocity with a view to strengthen right-based activity.

The program is implementing human rights initiatives such as: legal support to deprive and destitute people, reduce oppression against women, establish legal justice, improve gender relationship, strengthen village court activities and activate government legal aid fund, strengthen relationship with related organizations etc. through different Community Based Organizations (CBO) such as: Human Rights Protection Council, Stop Violence Against Women (SVAW), human rights lawyers’ association, campaign for good governance, human rights popular theatre group, human rights women association, community policing forum etc.  By the by, the program is supporting to the community based organizations for strengthening them through skill training and other necessary support to achieve their goal and objectives.

“District level council” of Human Rights Protection Council

A district council’10 of human rights protection council was held at ‘Mohuya’ auditorium, Netrakona on 23 November 2010 at 10.00 am. “May establish human rights by eradication all forms of discriminations” The inaugurator of the council was Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Dhaka and ex. Advisor of caretaker government of Bangladesh. The chief guest of the council was Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, honorable Member of Parliament (MP), Netrakona-2 constituency. The special guests were Aroma Datta, member of National human rights commission, Sheikh Nazmul Alam-ppm (seba), police super-Netrakona, Anwar Hossain Choudhury, Deputy Commissioner (Incharge)-Netrakona, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mayor-Netrakona municipality, Kazi Abdul Khalek, general secretary-coordination committee-Bangladesh human rights protection council, Roushan Akthar-chairman-SUS executive committee, Begum Rokeya-executive director-SUS-Netrakona. The council was presided over by Ali Osman, Coordinator-district human rights protection council. The representatives of upazila human rights protection council, journalists, lawyers and other elites of the district were attended the council. Before starting the council meeting, the guests hoisted national flag and led a colorful rally.