DHAKA, Dec 9, 2020 (BSS) – President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina today issued separate messages on the occasion
of international Human Rights Day.
In his message, President Abdul Hamid said the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on
December 10, 1948 with the aim of protecting and promoting human
rights.
Since then, he said, the Human Rights Day has been celebrated on
December 10 every year to raise mass awareness about human rights.
The President said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman always struggled to establish a just and equity-based society.
To establish equality, justice and human dignity in the newly
independent Bangladesh, the country’s Constitution of 1972 guarantees
all internationally recognised human rights, he added.
Abdul Hamid said the government established the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC) in 2009 as an independent and impartial body
to protect and promote human rights.
He urged the Commission to strengthen its activities at all levels
to protect human rights of the country’s all citizens and make them
aware of their rights.
The President said Bangladesh has gained international acclaim for
sheltering a large number of Rohingya population who were forcibly
displaced from Myanmar.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was awarded the title of ‘Mother of
Humanity’ in recognition of her unique leadership of humanitarian and
responsible policy in providing shelter to Rohingyas.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said since its
adoption in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains
the cornerstone of resolve and determination to uphold human rights
and fundamental freedom for all people of the country.
“This year, the pandemic has made the human rights situation in
many parts of the world more vulnerable. The theme of this year’s
celebration ‘Recover Better-Stand Up for Human Rights’ mandates us to
respect human rights across the spectrum, including economic and
social rights and civil and political rights, as we undertake various
measures to tackle the pandemic,” she said.
The premier said a country born out of a long heroic struggle to
establish the rights of its people, Bangladesh is strongly committed
to advancing and safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedom of
its people.
“Our enduring experience of being oppressed guided us to formulate
a Constitution incorporating the principles of the Universal
Declaration,” she said.
She said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
himself stated in his maiden speech in the United Nations General
Assembly in 1974 that ‘the souls of our martyrs join us in pledging
that the Bengalee nation fully commits itself to the building of a
world order, in which the aspiration of all men for peace and justice
will be realised.’
Guided by the vision of the Father of the Nation, the government of
Bangladesh has duly prioritised the human rights issue in its
development trajectory, Sheikh Hasina said.
“We’ve taken a whole of society approach and have been relentlessly
working to ensure that no one is left behind in our development
interventions,” she added.
The Prime Minister said as a signatory to almost all major
international human rights treaties and as an active member of the UN
Human Rights Council, Bangladesh is taking all possible measures to
secure the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedom,
equality, justice, political, economic and social rights for all
citizens.
“In our response to the COVID-19, we have ensured that human rights
remain at the center of all prevention, preparedness, containment and
treatment efforts. Globally, Bangladesh has engaged itself in
resolving conflicts and establishing peace and protecting human rights
all around the world,” she said.
She said on the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, it is a sad reality that injustice and oppression are
persistent in many parts of the world.
The brutal persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar is a glaring example
of the decades of human rights violation, the premier said.
As a responsible member of the international community, she said, it
was Bangladesh which opened its border and protected the basic rights
of these persecuted people of Myanmar.
Sheikh Hasina said the continued violation of the human rights of
Rohingyas in Myanmar and the denial of their right to return to their
homeland raise questions about the efficacy of the international
accountability framework.
“…let us commit to translate the words of the Declaration into
action and work together to establish a discrimination-free and just
world for all,” she said.