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Law adviser Asif Nazrul at a programme in Dhaka on Saturday said that human rights must be nurtured as a culture rather than an issue of enforcement.

‘Human rights must be practiced as a culture. It cannot be achieved only through enforcement of law. We need self-purification, self-criticism and self-improvement for this,’ he said while speaking at a seminar arranged by Human Rights Support Society at the Dhaka University’s Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium.

‘Every university must embrace transparency. Legal and institutional reforms is possible when we will acquire the virtues,’ he said.

Criticising the global hypocrisy regarding human rights advocacy, he said, ‘Many believe human rights have been successfully implemented in Europe and America. But those nations violate human rights worldwide, wage war for fuels, sell arms, and support oppressive regimes. There are major challenges.’

Asif Nazrul marked the regime of AL as a ‘fascist era’, saying, ‘At the cost of thousands of lives, our heroes removed Hasina from power. We must remember the heavy price paid for ousting her and ensure that such atrocity never comes again.’

Speaking at the seminar, Muhammad Ekramul Haq, dean of Dhaka University’s law faculty, emphasised the need for proper implementation of human rights laws.

‘If courts become tools of fascism, no constitutional provision can ensure justice. Judicial independence is crucial,’ he said.

He also noted that Bangladesh now has the scope to have an independent judiciary following the fall of the authoritarian regime in 2024.

‘This is the time to bring accountability, reform the governance and paving the way for a just society,’ he added.

Sanjida Khan, mother of Shahriar Khan, a martyr of the July uprising, said, ‘We live in a state where rights are violated everywhere. Bullets were bought with the tax I paid. And, my son was killed with the bullet.’

Michael Chakma, a victim of enforced disappearance, said, ‘My family searched for me in vain and my father died in heart attack. They even held my funeral.’

The event concluded with the honouring 10 winners of the Human Rights Olympiad.