Respecting human rights

This year's International Human Rights Day marks the beginning of a year-long celebration of the seven decades since the proclamation of one of the most significant agreements in human history in 1948. No doubt, this charter has made it incumbent on governments the world over to mend their behaviour or soften their attitudes towards segments of people subscribing to views contrary to the official position. But still there are miles to go before people in power everywhere apply the laws impartially neither to favour the privileged nor to discriminate against the weak, the underprivileged and the vulnerable. In parts of the underdeveloped world, human rights are an anathema to rulers even in the new millennium. One of the most glaring examples is the persecution of the Rohingya people by the security forces in Myanmar. An ethnic cleansing operation is being carried on in the most ruthless manner imaginable. The Rohingya Muslims in particular have been denied all human rights - civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

If Myanmar has restaged the persecution of the ethnic Muslims and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Serbs in the early 90s and the pogrom of the Bangalees in Bangladesh by the Pakistani military in 1971, there are countries which have a poor record of treating civilians with dignity. In some of the Middle-eastern and African countries, people are still treated disdainfully. Autocratic and monarchic rulers are habituated to consolidating power by maltreating their common citizens and distributing favours among a select few. The rule of law and good governance can never flourish there in the absence of democracy. Those who wield power and possess money continue to enjoy the privileges at the cost of the basic minimum requirements of the common people.

Here in Bangladesh, there has been elected governments for about three decades but it must be admitted that its political and social situation is still far from the ideal. The kind of political sophistication on which society thrives eruditely, economically and culturally is widely missing. Extra-judicial killing, abduction of a substantial number of people across political divides and from diverse segments, deaths in custody and the alleged tortures by law enforcement agencies certainly do not help the cause of ensuring human rights for its people. All this acts as a precedent for criminals to carry forward their heinous underworld operation. Thus, the rule of law becomes the ultimate casualty.

When economic disparity and the lack of opportunities for merit to prevail upon money and muscle power are the order of the day, society wither away within. Its creative spirit is discouraged by default. Establishing the human rights means all irrespective of their race, colour, belief and position in society enjoy equal opportunity to express them, perform to the best of their abilities and explore their inherent talents. The authorities have to create an enabling environment where all can participate in affairs deemed important and compete on an equal basis. It ensures that all are treated equally. This is no utopia. In advanced societies, people enjoy such rights so that they can shape their life to their potential.