Govt planning prison rights watchdog

The creation of a new government division is being proposed to oversee the human rights situation inside prisons and other places of incarceration.

It’s called the National Preventive Mechanism Division, according to law ministry documents seen by this newspaper.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The framework for the division has been codified in the finalised draft of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) law.

The chairperson of the NHRC will also be leading this division. In addition, the division will also include an NHRC commissioner elected by the NHRC itself and a human rights expert with a track record of working for the rights of the incarcerated.

The division will recruit or co-opt experts on law, forensic medicine, mental health sciences, gender or prison management as members or consultants.

The division will have its own consolidated fund and the authority to visit all prisons, detention centres, juvenile centres, police stations, immigrant detention centres, mental health institutions, military detention centres, safe homes and any place where personal liberty is curtailed.

They will maintain lists of such centres and inspect them unannounced. They will also be allowed to access all related documents.

They will be empowered to conduct confidential interviews of incarcerated individuals and their families and staff of such centres.

The division will submit briefs to the NHRC regarding human rights violations or inhumane behaviour and recommend that they take action.

The division will also submit a brief annually to the president comprising its findings. The annual report can include documentation of violations where action was recommended, but none was taken. Similarly, an annual report must be published and submitted to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ subcommittee on the prevention of torture.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said on Saturday that the government will be placing the finalised draft law on NHRC at the next cabinet meeting, where it will be approved before going to parliament. The minister had said the draft laws were in the final stages.