Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has called on all political parties, including the ruling party, to be tolerant of each other. He stated, “Let the people of this country live through the harmony of all religions and beliefs in the future. Everyone must be extremely tolerant of that. There will be an appeal to all political parties, leadership, and everyone to be tolerant towards each other.”
Speaking at a workshop held at the Capital’s Krishibid Institution on Saturday, the Chief Justice made these remarks. The workshop, titled ‘The Role of Legal Professionals in Protecting Human Rights,’ was organized by the National Human Rights Commission.
Referring to the context of the Indemnity Act, the Chief Justice said, “The trials of the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family will not take place, and the trials of the killings of national leaders will not happen. The law passed in mourning was the most significant example of human rights violations. The most unfortunate thing is that on the day the law was proposed to be repealed in Parliament, the opposing party walked out.” He said, “I am talking about political etiquette. If those who are involved in politics cannot respect each other, if they cannot understand what is a violation of human rights in this country, then the people of this country will face much more hardship in the future. I hope everyone will reflect on this issue.”
Acknowledging the possibility of political differences, the Chief Justice said, “But if as human beings, we are not respectful towards each other, then Bangladesh will never become a beautiful society.”
Addressing human rights activists, the Chief Justice said, “Just as political leaders have human rights, so do political workers. The path on which political movements will take place, even there human rights exist. The police who are performing duties also have human rights. Sometimes we ignore these issues. If they (political workers) also resort to extra-judicial means, and if the police also resort to extra force – both are crimes. Both fall under the category of human rights violations. Recently, some incidents have occurred, and extreme violations of human rights have taken place there.”
