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Turkish PM Yildirim invites PM Hasina to attend OIC summit

Human Rights Report
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m on Tuesday invited his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina to attend a special summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on May 18.
The OIC convened the summit to discuss the issues on Palestine.
PM's press wing said the Turkish premier made a phone call to Sheikh Hasina at 7:30pm.
During telephonic conversation, Binali Y?ld?r?m invited Sheikh Hasina to attend the special OIC summit scheduled to be held on May 18.
The press wing said the two prime ministers held telephonic conversation for about 15 minutes.
Lauding the initiative, Sheikh Hasina termed it a time-befitting move and urged the Muslim Ummah to remain united.
The Bangladesh premier condemned the Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, saying that it was a breach of human rights. Expressing resentment over shifting the US's embassy to Jerusalem, she reiterated her support for independent Palestine state.





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Total 323 persons killed in April 2018

Human Rights Report:

The documentation section of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) and International Human Rights CommissionIHRC jointly furnished this human rights survey report on the basis of daily newspapers and information received from its district, subdistrict and municipal branches. As per survey it appears that 323 peoples were killed in May, 2018 in all over the country. It proves that the law and order situation is not satisfactory. Bangladesh Human Rights Commissions extremely anxious about this situation. In the month of May, 2018 average 10 people were killed in each day.
The Law enforcing agencies and related Govt. departments should be more responsible so that percentage of killing May be brought down to zero level. To institutionalize the democracy and to build human rights based society the rule of law and order must be established everywhere. Through enforcing rule of law only such violation against human rights can be minimized.
It appears from documentation division of BHRC:
Total 323 person killed in May, 2018
Killing for dowry 5, killing by family violence 35, Killed due to social discrepancy 71, Political killing 5, Killed by Law enforcing authority 127, Killed due to doctor negligence 5, Kill due to abduction 11, Assassination 7, Mysterious death 50, Women & Chilled killed due to rape 7.
Killed by several accidents:
Killed by road accident 203, Suicide 25
Besides victims of torture:
Rape 37, Sexual Harassment 9, Torture for Dowry 11

 

Drug Wars
Violating Human Rights
Mohammad Nazmul Hasan (Rumi)

The illegal drug business didn't develop in a day or two. It has risen sharply in the last two decades. One out of every fifteen adults is thought to be addicted in Bangladesh. Drug dealers and distributors caused tremendous harm to our society and destroy the productive capacity of a large number of populations.
Drug abuse flourished with the patronization of a section of law enforcement agencies and politicians. The size of the economy of illegal drugs is high. Therefore, killing of some drug peddlers wouldn't bring an end to the menace. Drug lords had developed a system in which new people would replace those killed.
During the nationwide drive from the 18 May 2018 to 31 May, law enforcers killed 124 people in crossfire which our law and constitution does not support such type of extrajudicial killings. The law enforcers were not taking any actions against those who were godfathers and patrons of drug peddlers. Besides we see absence of transparency in the anti-narcotics drive.
Diplomats, stationed in Dhaka, expressed their deep concern on 28 May 2018 over the "extrajudicial killings" in the ongoing nationwide anti-narcotics drive.
Kazi Reasul Hoque who is the Chairman of National Human Rights Commission said "We strongly condemned and protest the killing of people in the name of crossfire. We want to say unequivocally that the criminals, whoever she or he is must face an action through due legal procedure. We, as well as the whole nation, support the drive against illegal drugs, but not at the cost of any lives."
Sultana Kamal who is the human rights activist said, "The enforcement agencies' actions would not provide a sustainable solution against illegal drugs. They have started killing drug peddlers and drug users. If they think that they will resolve the problems in that way then they will have to kill millions of people who use drugs. We can never support killing in crossfire of people in the name of drive against drugs as it is against the law and the constitution. We will have to eliminate drugs from the society upholding the existing laws of the country."
Nurul Huda, the Former Inspector General of Police, said, "The ongoing drive against illegal drugs would create fear among the drug peddlers. That's why movement of drugs would decrease in different parts of the country. In this context, it could be said that the ongoing anti-narcotics drive may bring partial success to the fight against illegal drugs. But in a bid to gain success in the long term, the law enforcement agencies should take decisive actions to combat illegal drugs."
Fight against narcotics in any country, including the USA, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Philippines and Thailand were not successful through enacting laws. The ongoing drives against drugs also won't be successful in Bangladesh if the government does not address the root cause of the problem.
We need to cut off the transit routes from the source of all hard drugs, educate our youngsters everywhere on the evils of drug abuse and rehabilitate those that have gone astray.
The law enforcement agencies should primarily ensure illegal drugs do not enter Bangladesh from neighboring countries. Yaba pills generally come from Myanmar through Cox's Bazar. Steps should be taken to ensure that yaba did not enter the country from the source point. Finally, the law enforcement agencies would have to stop illegal drugs without violating laws and human rights.

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Opening of US embassy in Jerusalem

violation of int'l law: OIC
 

Human Rights Report:
The US administration "unlawfully" opened its embassy in Jerusalem, says the OIC on Monday terming it a "clear violation" of international law and legitimacy and in clear contempt of international community's position regarding Jerusalem.
"The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly rejects and condemns in the strongest terms this illegal decision by the US administration," said the OIC in a statement. The OIC said it considers this action as an attack on the historical, legal,
natural and national rights of the Palestinian people, which undermines the standing of the United Nations and rule of international law and thus represents an affront to international peace and security; as expressed at the Extraordinary OIC Islamic Summit held in Istanbul on December 13, 2017, and also by the international community at the UN General Assembly held on December21, 2017. As Chair of the 45th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of OIC, Bangladesh issued the joint statement of the OIC (45th CFM). The OIC viewed such deplorable action by the US administration as a clear violation of all existing international laws pertaining to the status of Al Quds Al Sharif and Palestine, in particular the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967), 252 (1968), 267 (1969), 298 (1971), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 465 (1980, 476 (1980) 478 (1980), 2334 (2016), United Nations General Assembly resolution A/RES/72/15 (2017).
The OIC determines that the US administration has contradicted its own commitments and expressed utter disdain and disrespect to Palestinian legitimate rights, and international law and has made very clear that it has no regard for the rights and religious sentiments of the Muslim Ummah and concludes that the current US administration has invalidated its role as a broker in any future peace efforts in Palestine.
The specific status of Al Quds Al Sharif is central to the OIC and to the Muslim Ummah and of other religions, which therefore requires the protection and preservation of its unique spiritual, religious and cultural dimensions, as foreseen in relevant UN resolutions. The final status of Al Quds Al Sharif should and must be resolved through negotiations in line with relevant UN resolutions. The OIC determines that it will continue its efforts to defend the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and statehood by creating positive and irreversible political and legal realities, and lead efforts to formulate a multilateral and credible approach to end the conflict on the basis of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The OIC decided to pursue all available legal, political, and legislatives avenues at the national and international levels to confront and stop the Israeli colonial settlement regime in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and adopt actions to ensure that companies and other actors that choose to benefit from the Israeli colonial regime are deprived of the opportunity of accessing OIC markets..
 

 

 31 million face legal issues every year in Bangladesh
Reaz Ahmad  

 

Human Rights Report:
Land disputes most severe; people suffer due to graft-ridden land administration
A new study has recently found out that each year as many as 31 million people confront with legal challenges in Bangladesh. A majority of these challenges occur when dealing with neighbours and the most complicated ones arise when dealing with land related issues. Netherlands based nonprofit The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), in league the Netherlands government and BRAC in Bangladesh, conducted the study through in-depth qualitative interviews of around 6000 respondents who were randomly selected in 64 districts of the country.
It came out from HiiL-published study findings that people in Bangladesh mostly face legal issues over disputes with neighbours, land, criminal offences, family disputes, money-related issues, social, consumer-related issues and accidents. However, in terms of the severity of the issues, land related legal disputes come out on top of the rest.
Land disputes are identified as the most serious legal problem in Bangladesh, affecting 8 million people per year. Disputes over the use of land, ownership and land grabbing are the most frequently cited specific problems. The negative impact these disputes have on people's lives is substantial, with 66 percent reporting a major impact. People generally take action to resolve the dispute when it comes to land disputes. Despite this, the resolution rate of land disputes is only 25 percent. A complex system of rules and procedures makes this a difficult problem to navigate for the average citizen in Bangladesh, while local elites, in many cases, take advantage of the confusion to exert their influence and grab pieces of land. The current situation is unsustainable, with many people suffering and having their livelihoods impacted. Change is an absolute must.
Land justice is particularly pressing, according to the data. The current land laws are several decades old and are in dire need of updating. Digital innovation can play an important role here by, for example, creating a fully digitalised registration system. Procedural changes can also play a vital role; increasing coordination and creating a one-stop service for citizens would be a helpful first step, as currently two ministries and several departments are involved in legal disputes related to land. People feel lost and end up going back and forth between different institutions multiple times. Delegation of some functions to non-governmental actors can also contribute to reducing the current strain on the system and substantially improve the accessibility and speed of justice, HiiL suggests.
It is evident from the answers received from surveyed respondents that they mostly rely on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and very few problems are referred to courts of law. Taking action oneself, such as gathering evidence, or going to local elites, such as the UP chairman or the matabbar, is far more common than going to the police or court. Lawyers are costly to retain and not necessarily easily accessible in more remote parts of the country and as a result, a limited number of people is able to engage them in legal disputes. Legal aid provided by the government goes some way to cover this need, but is far from sufficient.
 

The quest for a child-friendly digital world
 

S. M. Rayhanul Islam

Human Rights Report:
Like globalization, 'digitalization' has already changed the world. The rapid proliferation of information and communications technology (ICT) is an unstoppable force, touching virtually every sphere of modern life, from economies to societies to cultures, and shaping our everyday life. Childhood is no exception. The amount of technology available to children today is greater than in any previous generation, and it is more specifically designed to capture their imaginations. However, there is a heated debate as to how the digital influx is shaping children's development and experience. Are social media changing the way that children form relationships? How is technology changing the way that children think, and how will it shape the classroom of the future? The UNICEF publication "The State of the World's Children 2017" examines the ways in which digital technology has already changed children's lives and life chances - and explores what the future may hold. It also argues for faster action, focused investment and greater cooperation to protect children from the harms of a more connected world - while harnessing the opportunities of the digital age to benefit every child.
The report contains five chapters. The first chapter 'Digital Opportunity: The promise of connectivity' looks at the opportunities digitalization offers to children everywhere, but especially children disadvantaged by poverty, exclusion, conflicts and other crises. For example, ICTs are bringing education to children in remote parts of Brazil and Cameroon and to girls in Afghanistan who cannot leave their homes. ICTs are also enabling child bloggers and reporters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to advocate for their rights. They're increasingly supporting children and their families in emergencies. And they're literally giving a voice to children with disabilities: "The day I received an electronic notepad connected to the internet, my life literally changed," Ivan Bakaidov, an 18-year-old with cerebral palsy, writes in this report.
Chapter Two titled 'Digital Divides: Missed opportunities' examines the data on who is being left behind and what it means to be unconnected in a digital world. The top-line numbers are striking: Nearly one third of all children and youth worldwide - around 346 million 15-24 year olds - are not online. In Africa, 3 out of 5 youth (aged 15 to 24) are offline; in Europe, the proportion is just 1 in 25. But digital divides go deeper than just connectivity. In a world where 56 per cent of websites are in English, many children cannot find content they understand or that's relevant to their lives. Many also lack the skills, as well as the access to devices like laptops, that would allow them to make the most of online opportunities.
The next chapter 'Digital Dangers: The harms of life online' delves into the digital dark side and the risks and harms of life online, including the internet's impact on children's right to privacy and expression.


 

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