Human rights being violated: Mizanur

Source: The Daily Star

Vested Property Return Act

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman yesterday said the existing vested property return act, since its enactment, has been violating the human rights of minority communities in the country.

The act has created social discrimination and panicked the minorities that they would lose their lands, he said.

Both discrimination and panic are considered effective tool for violation of human rights; so the act should be reviewed to end those disputes permanently, added Rahman.

The NHRC chief was addressing a roundtable on “vested property return (amendment) act” at Cirdap auditorium in the city yesterday.

Noted economist Prof Abul Barakat said around 12-lakh Hindu households have been directly affected by the vested (enemy) property act form 1965 to 2006.

These families have lost their 26-lakh acres of land, he said, adding that the total loss caused by the act can be put at Tk 3,50,412 crore.

The roundtable was jointly organised by the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikkya Parishad, Ain O Shalish Kendra, Nijera Kori, and Human Development Research Centre (HDRC).

Justice Mohammad Gholam Rabbani chaired the function and Rana Das Gupta, general secretary of the Oikkya Parishad, presented the keynote paper.

Sultana Kamal; JSD President Hasanul Haque Inu; Barrister Amirul Islam; Additional AG MK Rahman; and Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong also spoke.