Govt working to formulate anti-discrimination law: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the government is working on formulating an anti-discrimination law, which should come into effect next year.

The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion virtually organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on the occasion of Human Rights Day, 2020 this evening.

The law minister also said the NHRC has to play an adequate role in order to stop incidents of human rights violation in the country.

"The government has identified the incidents of domestic torture and sexual harassment as a very heinous offence. Such offences cannot be stopped by only formulating laws and making stricter punishments. The people have to raise their voice and the National Human Rights Commission has to play adequate role to this effect. Then, the violation of human rights will of course be stopped," he said.

The minister also said the government will not compromise with any incident of human rights violation even amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation, and has taken necessary steps to prevent offences, including domestic violence and sexual harassment.

The NHRC is responsible for conveying the incidents of human rights violation to the government for taking necessary action, he said.

"The National Human Rights Commission can play a role of check and balance in this regard. If the government doesn't take any step against an offence, the commission itself will take appropriate legal action," he said, adding that the government must take necessary action against any incident of human rights violation if it is conveyed the information to this end. 

NHRC Chairman Nasima Begum presided over the meeting where UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh Sudipto Mukherjee, among others, also spoke.