Rights chief threatens to go to HC

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman yesterday said if the government took no action against Inspector General of Police (Prisons) who barred him from entering Sylhet jail on Thursday he will move to the High Court.

Human rights officials are eligible to visit places like prisons, hospitals or other government institutions without any prior approval according to section 12 (Ga) of the NHRC Act, 2009, said NHRC Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman.

The NHRC staff went to visit Sylhet Central Jail, after receiving allegations of corruption and human rights violation against the jail authorities, he added.

Mizanur Rahman alleged that IG Prisons Brig Gen (retd) Ashraful Islam Khan violated the law by preventing him from visiting the prison, adding that, the NHRC will move to HC if government does not take any action.

Earlier on Thursday, Sylhet jail authorities barred NHRC Chairman from visiting the jail as he did not have an approval letter from the IG Prisons.

Mizanur Rahman spoke to the reporters following a seminar on tasks to be done in the next 40 days to elect the Sundarbans as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Bangladesh Wonders Promotion Foundation arranged the seminar at National Museum.

Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Ali Zaker, Asaduzzaman Noor, Saikh Siraj, Lt Gen (retd) M Harun-or-Rashid spoke in the seminar among others.

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