Bangladesh Inhuman Rights Commission concerned about poor US human rights condition

Just a week after the US Department of State in its human rights report for 2016 expressed concerns about Bangladesh's human rights condition, Bangladesh Inhuman Rights Commission expressed concerns about the deplorable human rights condition in the US.

In its report, Bangladesh Inhuman Rights Commission chairman RI Khan noted that the most significant human rights problems in the USA were arbitrary or unlawful detentions of immigrants, undermining rights of women, indigenous people and minority groups.

"Immigrants and tourists from different countries are being detained at the airport on their arrival without valid reasons and even being picked up from their homes—creating a reign of terror in the minds of immigrant Americans and expatriate Bangladeshis," said RI Khan in the report. "We in Bangladesh do not harass Americans or other foreigners like that."

"There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses," said the report, expressing deep concern at the deterioration of rights situation in the USA since Donald Duck took over the White House.

"We are also concerned that democracy in the US is in peril as its elections were rigged," said the report referring to Russia's controversial role—especially that of Russian President Vladimir's Natin-Putin—in last year's election. 

Whereas Bangladeshi media is free to report or cover anything as they enjoy the world's highest freedom of expression, the President of the USA personally attacks media houses like The New York Times or The Guardian by tweeting mercilessly. 

"In Bangladesh, this is unheard of. We don't attack The New York Times," said RI Khan, "In Bangladesh people don't attack journalists on Twitter. We live in a real world. If we need to insult someone, we have them insulted via sychophants on TV talk shows."

While America criticised forced disappearances and cross-fires in Bangladesh, Mr RI Khan said, "Oh yeah? How many Americans are killed daily in gun violence alone? Not less than 30. Not even our buses or minibuses could kill so many Bangladeshis on a daily basis! Stop gun violence. Use minibuses and buses instead. It's more lawful to kill people by running over them."

"The USA has many things to learn from us. They want to build a wall in the 3145 km US Mexican border and demand Mexico pay for it. We have 4000 km border with India. We made India build barbed-wire fences in many parts and we already made India pay for it," he said.

"Americans have rightly realised that they need to make America great again—because it is no longer great. Today nobody cares what you think about our county. We know soon America will begin copying our style of governance because what Bangladesh thinks today, the USA thinks tomorrow," the Inhuman rights chief said.

The writer is Deputy Editor, The Daily Star.