Historic chance for genuine democracy

UN rights boss Volker Turk has said Bangladesh has an historic opportunity to renew and revitalise a genuine democracy after the student-led mass uprising.
The United Nations high commissioner for human rights made the remarks in his speech addressing students at Dhaka University on the first day of his two-day visit to Bangladesh yesterday.  
He said youths seized the moment to put the country on a different pathway after struggling with divisive politics for decades.
“Bangladesh now has an historic opportunity to renew and revitalise a genuine democracy. To deliver deep reform,”
Through this, the country can start a “process of truth, justice and healing” and ensure that the benefits of development are enjoyed by all people.
This is also an opportunity to rebuild the country on a “foundation of equality – where every voice is heard and valued, irrespective of class, gender, race, political ideology or religion”.
He offered some observations in his speech. First, a human rights approach calls for truth, justice,  and healing for recent events and past human rights violations.
Second, at a broader level, Bangladesh has an important opportunity to confront longstanding human rights violations, rebuild an open, diverse and tolerant civic space, and reform key state institutions.
Third, human rights should underpin the democratic process.
A human rights approach calls for a level playing field that enables all political parties to participate freely. 
Citizens must be able to participate in democratic governance and have a real say in decision-making.
Free and fair elections require an environment where freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are respected.
Fourth, this is an opportunity for inclusive, sustainable development policies that benefit everyone, Turk said.
He also offered the students all-out support in their initiatives to rebuild the nation.
“My Office is ready to play its part, starting with the Fact-Finding Mission already underway.”
“Inequality, cycles of revenge and retribution, marginalisation, corruption, and gross human rights violations must be consigned to the past. There must be no repetition, no going back. The present and future belong to equality, to justice.”
Earlier, after meeting Turk at a city hotel, Social Welfare Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will establish an office in Dhaka soon.
“It is a very important decision. The interim government agreed on the establishment of the UN Human Rights office in Dhaka. Its presence here will strengthen our position on human rights,” she said.
The establishment of the human rights office will enable direct investigation into areas of human rights violations, Sharmeen added.
The adviser also said political governments did not properly investigate rights violations in the past. And when civil society groups probed rights violations and had the facts out, they came under pressure.
She said the UN delegation also asked the challenges the interim government faces and how it looks at the situation now.
“We all said where our challenges are and where the UN Human Rights office can stand by us.”
Advisers Syeda Rizwana  Hasan, Adilur Rahman, Farida Akter and Nahid Islam were also present.
After a meeting with Law Adviser Asif Nazrul at the Secretariat, Turk said the UN Human Rights Office wanted Bangladesh to revoke the death sentence.
In reply, Nazrul said the interim government saw no scope to do it now. “The Penal Code has provisions for the death sentence. There is no scope for amending it all of a sudden,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Turk told the media that he asked for Bangladesh’s human rights commission to be strengthened to uphold the rights.
The UN Fact-Finding Mission was giving due importance to human rights violations during the July-August mass uprising, he said and added the UN Headquarters was overseeing the entire matter.
A UN Fact-Finding Mission has been working since mid-September to probe the human rights violations between July 1 and August 15.
More than 1,695 murder cases, including at least 75 against high profile politicians and businesspersons linked to the Awami League, were filed after the fall of the regime.
Many of the cases were also filed under the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act which has provisions for the death sentence.
Turk wanted to know more about the ICT Act, said Nazrul. The UN rights boss asked for the draft of the amendments to the ICT Act, which the government will provide.
Those accused in the cases under the ICT Act will be provided with all legal rights to defend themselves, the adviser said.
The adviser said the government may take forensic or technical support from the UN for justice. “There will be no injustice as was the case in the past.”
Asked if the Awami League would be able to contest in the next election, Nazrul said, “It is for the people to decide whether this party should have political rights or not.”
After the meeting with Turk, Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told the media that the UN rights boss asked for the interim government’s cooperation to promote human rights issues.
He said the interim government would work as per the recommendations of the UN Fact-Finding Mission report.
Turk also stressed the protection of the victims and witnesses and Jahangir said the government would ensure it.