Former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Prof Mizanur Rahman has protested BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's comments against veteran human rights activist Sultana Kamal.
“What he said about Sultana Kamal is indecent. It shows his bad taste. You have to do politics keeping decency. You need to have manners, etiquettes,” Prof Rahman told Bangladesh Post on Friday, a day after eminent citizens including teachers, lawyers, journalists and human rights activists issued a written protest against BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi.
Rizvi termed Sultana Kamal as an “activist for Awami League's rights”, days after she was quoted in a news of India Today on the UN human rights report on Bangladesh.
According to India Today, the UN report listing “victims of enforced disappearances” in Bangladesh is replete with inaccuracies and that two separatist insurgents, both back in India, figured in the UN list says a lot about the report.
Sultana Kamal was quoted as saying that: “BNP has a history of faking cases of human rights”, and she called for “legal action against the party for that where appropriate meaning that such claims needed to be investigated properly as fake cases only serve to undermine credibility of these issues."
Prof Rahman said Sultana Kamal did not say anything wrong.
“Throughout her life, she has been the human rights defendant. She holds the spirit of our liberation war and she has full allegiance to the human rights principles,” he said.
“She did not lie or spread any confusion. Branding her as a party man is indecent. With that comment, Mr Rizvi in fact tried to divide the human rights activists in Bangladesh. He tried to divert the issue in the wrong direction,” Prof Rahman said.
Earlier in the written statement, eminent citizens said: “Such verbal abuse by Rizvi towards Sultana Kamal is against dignity and violates a person's rights.
Terming Kamal as an 'activist for Awami League's rights' portrays BNP stance on human rights.
he release added that Rizvi not only insulted Sultana Kamal but also demeaned respected intellectuals like Muntassir Mamoon and Shahriar Kabir.
"Rizvi's statement regarding historian Muntassir Mamoon and writer Shahriar Kabir is totally unacceptable. We strongly condemn such vicious personal attacks”.
Among the 22 signatories of the written statement were Prof Misbah Kamal, Prof Sadika Halim, Advocate Rana Dasgupta, Khushi Kabir, Humayun Kabir, and Shamsul Huda.
