Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) called upon Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury to engage civil society and rights bodies for selecting the chairman and members of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the parliament, who heads the selection committee of the NHRC body, ASK, a legal aid and human rights organisation, said the new NHRC body should be recruited soon after the tenure of the current body expires on June 21.
According to “Paris Principles” on establishing national human rights organisations, the appointment of members of the commission must be transparent and open, and the participation of civil society, experts and rights bodies is needed.
However, the selection committee has yet to take any visible initiative towards recruitment of the body, said a press release signed by ASK Executive Director Sultana Kamal on June 14.
ASK observed that three years were not sufficient for the commission to play an efficient role in developing and protecting human rights, and suggested that the tenure of the body should be increased.
Another consideration is that the five members of the body work without payment, and should be given enough time for the commission, as they remain busy with other jobs, ASK pointed out.
According to NHRC Act, 2009, a seven-member selection committee headed by the speaker would make recommendations for recruiting the NHRC chairman and members, and the president would appoint the body on the basis of their recommendations.
