On 15 February 2023, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) organised an online dialogue titled ‘Dialogue with Human Rights Defenders and the National Human Rights Commission’. The event brought together approximately 50 human rights defenders from 21 districts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, to discuss the current human rights situation in the country and share their experiences.

During the dialogue, human rights defenders emphasised the challenges they face while working in different parts of the country to protect the rights of vulnerable groups. They called on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take more visible and effective measures to safeguard human rights and human rights defenders. The defenders urged the Commission to provide support and ensure the safety of human rights defenders and vulnerable groups.
Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, the current Chairperson of the NHRC, attended the event as the “Chief Guest”. He attentively listened to the concerns raised by the human rights defenders and promised to take necessary steps to resolve them. Dr. Ahmed assured the human rights defenders that the Commission would provide assistance and protection to them.
The dialogue aimed to establish links between the NHRC and human rights defenders at local and national levels. ASK has been convening such dialogues each year to promote human rights in the country and ensure justice for all people.
Human rights defenders face various difficulties while attempting to ensure justice for the people they serve, and the NHRC has a crucial role to play in ensuring human rights and justice for all people. Therefore, the Commission must be more proactive in their activities to achieve this objective.
Overall, the event provided an opportunity for human rights defenders to share their experiences and expectations with the Commission’s Chairperson and to urge the Commission to enhance its measures to protect human rights defenders and vulnerable groups.