Shipping, Textiles, and Jute Adviser Brigadier General (Retired) M Sakhawat Hossain has urged political parties to collaborate in protecting the human rights of all citizens.
He said this during a dialogue on human rights organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on Thursday.
Emphasizing the need for collective responsibility, he said: "We must protect our all citizens... It is also your duty to protect all citizens' rights."
He called for support from all political parties in the interim government's efforts for state reform.
Discussing police reform, he highlighted plans to reshape the police force into a more humane entity. Reflecting on past human rights violations, he said: "If Hasina would have sustained for three or four days more, you would see me in her Aynaghar (secret detention cell)."
The dialogue featured various speakers, including CGS Chairperson Munira Khan, NDM Chairman Bobby Hajjaj, and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) Executive Director Md Nur Khan, who collectively stressed the need for an independent Human Rights Commission.
Hajjaj argued for the establishment of a commission outside governmental control to enhance its effectiveness.
Md Nur Khan emphasized the importance of transparency in appointing commission officials and accountability in their responsibilities. He also urged the government to preserve sites of past human rights abuses for justice.
CGS Chairperson Munira Khan commended the interim government's reform initiatives, advocating for a system that prevents the return of fascism in Bangladesh.
Rashed Khan, general secretary of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, called for legal action against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina at the International Criminal Court for alleged mass killings.
The dialogue concluded with a consensus on the need to hold accountable all officials responsible for human rights violations from 2009 to 2014 and to establish a police commission to foster a more people-friendly law enforcement agency.