Human rights much better in Bangladesh than many countries: Jahangir

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today said the human rights situation in Bangladesh is much better in comparison to many other countries.
“Human rights are being violated in many ways at different places, including the Middle East, in the world. The rate of the human rights violation is much lower here compared to other countries and the situation is getting better day by day,” he said.
He made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with a five-member delegation led by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk at his office at the Secretariat, said a home ministry press release.
“The [UN] delegation has sought all-out support from us on the human rights issues,” he said.
The home adviser said the delegation assured them of cooperation in making the reforms.
The delegation highly praised the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their performance in the UN peacekeeping missions abroad and advised the government to send members of different forces to the missions through neutral and independent scrutiny, he said.
The delegation also suggested prioritising human rights issues in police reforms and ensuring safety and security of the witnesses and victims in the trial process, he added.
On the Rohingya issue, he said, “We have sought complete cooperation from the UN delegation. Many countries and the UN have been helping us on Rohingya rehabilitation and repatriation. But the assistance is much lower than needed.”
The adviser said the delegation was informed that more Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh following the recent unrest in Myanmar.
“We have called upon the UN to mount pressure on Myanmar over the Rohingya issue to attract the international attention,” he said.
The four other members of the delegation were senior human rights adviser for the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office Huma Khan, Asia-Pacific region chief of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Rory Mungoven, its spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, and human rights officer Livia Cosenzal.
Public Security Senior Secretary Mohammad Abdul Momen, Inspector General of Police Md Mainul Islam, Border Guard Bangladesh Director General Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Rab DG AKM Shahidur Rahman, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Mainul Hassan, among others, were present.
United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Dhaka today on a two-day official visit.