9 December 2022, Fri, 10:44

World Human Rights Day is to be observed on 10th December

Jamaat Ameer calls to establish people’s voting rights, rule of law, and democracy

-Dr. Shafiqur Rahman

Bangladesh Jamaa-e-Islami’s Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has issued the following statement on 9th December 2022 marking World Human Rights Day, which is going to be observed on 10th of December.

“World Human Rights Day is going to be observed on 10 December. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit. Since then, the day has been observed as Human Rights Day across the world.

Right now, human rights are being violated in Palestine, Kashmir, Myanmar, and other parts of the world. We are observing this day in such a time when there is no existence of democracy, rule of law, and human rights in the country. People are being arrested unreasonably and people are being pushed toward death as they are kept behind bars for years. People’s voting rights and freedom of expression have been snatched away. There is no democracy in the country. Dissidents have no option to speak out. The judicial system and rule of law have been subdued. People’s lives and properties are not safe. The nation is witnessing crimes like murder, abduction, rape, and human rights violations always.

The government has kept Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and world-renowned preacher of the Quran Allama Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Assistant Secretary General and noted politician ATM Azharul Islam, former MP Abdul Khaleq Mondol behind the bar for years. The government also kept Jamaat’s Secretary General Professor Mia Golam Porwar, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, and former MP Shahjahan Chowdhury detained for many days in connection with false political cases.

BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister have been made deprived of her basic rights to receive appropriate treatment. A huge number of BNP activists have been detained in recent times including party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas.

According to the disclosed information, from January 2022 to October 2022, in these 10 months, 3067 women have become victims of torture. 830 women were raped and 7 have committed suicide.

From January 2022 to September 2022, 15 people were killed in extra-judicial killings and police custody. 58 people were killed in 387 incidents of political violence in the last 9 months. 5400 people became injured in these incidents.

In separate incidents, miscreants have attacked 8 business establishments and 4 houses of the Hindu community. 12 Bangladeshi civilians were killed in border areas by Indian BSF.

From last January till September, 66 journalists came under attack while discharging professional responsibilities. According to the human rights watchdog Aain O Salish Kendra, 179 more journalists also became intimidated while doing their duties. One journalist was killed in Comilla. This information has been collected from newspapers but practically the number will be several times more.

On the occasion of World Human Rights Day, we are calling upon the concerned authorities to release all political detainees. Besides, we are urging fellow countrymen to make united efforts to establish democracy, rule of law, voting rights, and fundamental rights irrespective of their political views and identity.