NHRC stands by Taslima Nasrin

National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman is unhappy about the lack of initiatives to bring feminist writer Taslima Nasrin back home.

His reaction came at a view-exchange meeting on empowerment of women held at CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Wednesday.

Addressing the audience, he said: “What have you done to bring Taslima Nasrin back. Under what authority, a state deprives its citizen of the right to return home?”

Rahman said every citizen had the right to live in their motherland.

He said in an angry tone: “Taslima Nasrin couldn’t return home even after the death of her mother and relatives to see them for one last time.”

“She speaks against militants, is this her fault?”

Nasreen, a physician by training, was compelled to leave the country amid threat of militants following publication of her novel ‘Lajja’.

Since then, she has been living abroad – presently in India.

The NHRC chief urged all to build a Bangladesh imbued with the spirit of the Liberation War through creation of awareness against communalism.

Criticising mosque-based political activities, he said: “Issuing political statement inside mosques is not an Islamic act. It’s undesirable.”

He suggested measures by Islamic Foundation over the issue.

Speaking at the meeting, former foreign minister Dipu Moni described patriarchy, terrorism and militancy as barriers to ‘taking woman affairs issue to the right place’.

Journalist Abed Khan also sought Islamic Foundation initiatives to stop use of religion for politics

The NHRC organised the meeting titled ‘Empowerment of Woman in Bangladesh: Expectations and Achievements’.