Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP) organised its internationally recognised and much acclaimed annual event – the 19th Human Rights Summer School (HRSS) from October 13-23, 2018, at Proshika, HRDC, Koitta, Manikganj. The theme of the 19th HRSS was “Human Rights and Digital Age”. This year, the school trained up 42 law students from 17 different law schools of South Asia.

The two-week long residential training programme on human rights jurisprudence and advocacy was inaugurated by Mr. Md. Fazle Rabbi Miah, MP, Honourable Deputy Speaker, Jatiya Sangshad on October 13, 2018. For the next 10 days, the participants attended lecture sessions, took part in group activities and simulation sessions, went for community visits in the locality to inquire about the views and perspectives of the local people regarding their rights as human beings, etc.

The resource persons and instructors of the 19th HRSS comprised of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, renowned jurists and human rights activists, lawyers, academics, law enforcement agency and media personnel, etc. Through all the sessions of Summer School, the participants got to gather in-depth knowledge about various aspects of human rights, the changing nature of human rights in the fast-moving digital age, the need for protecting the rights of human beings in cyberspace.

The valedictory ceremony was held on October 22, 2018. Mr. Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Honourable Chief Justice of Bangladesh was present as the chief guest while Professor Dr. Md. Rahmat Ullah, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Dhaka graced the event as the special guest. The ceremony was presided over by Professor Dr. Mizanur Rahman, President, ELCOP and former chairman, National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.

The valedictory ceremony ended with certificates being handed out to all the participants and prizes being presented to the winners in different categories of the Summer School. Md. Azhar Uddin Bhuiyan from the University of Dhaka won the Professor Z. I. Chowdhury Memorial Trophy for Academic Excellence, Shayma Manira from the University of Dhaka won the Professor K. A. A. Quamruddin Memorial Best Fellowship Trophy, Arzoo Karki from Kathmandu School of Law won the Justice K. M. Subhan Memorial Best Mooter Trophy and Humaira Binte Faruque from Eastern University won the Professor A. R. Chowdhury Memorial Trophy for Best Cultural Performance.

The writer is a student of law at University of Dhaka.