Bangladesh-Qatar pact to expand collaboration on human rights

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has made advanced strides in the framework of communicating with foreign communities, including the Bengali community, which is one of the largest communities in the country, said its Secretary General NHRC Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali.

This is in the context of the keenness on the values of social peace and cultural diversity in an environment of different ethnicities, religions and cultures, reports Qatar-based English newspaper The Peninsula. 

Al Jamali held a meeting with the Chairperson of the Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission Nasima Begum.

During the meeting, both sides agreed on signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for expanding the horizons of bilateral cooperation in the fields of human rights and the exchange of experiences.

During the meeting, Al Jamali underlined the role of Qatar's NHRC in protecting and promoting the human rights of all citizens and residents subject to legal jurisdiction in the State of Qatar, and its relentless pursuit to spread awareness and provide the necessary support for individuals. 

He pointed to the opening of offices for foreign communities at its headquarters to be an organised and effective link with all residents.

One of these offices, Al Jamali noted, is the office of the Bengali community which aims to raise awareness of human rights, especially the labour rights established in the national laws and legislative instruments, and the obligations under them.

Al Jamali also presented an overview of the NHRC in Qatar which has maintained its (A) classification for 15 years.

Concerning the petitions submitted by people of the Bangladeshi community and other communities, Al Jamali explained that the NHRC in Qatari provides assistance to those petitioners, enabling them to submit their complaints in the right ways, and is keen to resolve the petitions in cooperation with the competent authorities. 

With regard to the services offered by the Qatari NHRC in this context, the secretary general stated that the Committee translates and writes legal memos free of charge, in addition to accompanying some cases to review the competent authorities. 

He noted that the NHRC in Qatar cooperates with 30 law firms to provide legal consultations free of charge to petitioners when needed, as well as cooperating with representatives from the Bangladeshi community to provide awareness training courses on rights and duties.

Al Jamali added that the Qatari NHRC has also issued a booklet on workers' rights in several languages, including Bengali, to enable members of the Bangladeshi community to understand their rights and learn about legal remedies and justice. 

This booklet is updated on regular basis to keep pace with the laws in the country.

For her part, Nasima Begum welcomed the cooperation with the National Human Rights Committee, stressing the need to exchange experiences with the NHRC in Qatar.

She welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding soon to frame joint work and achieve the common goals of the two sides in the protection and promotion of human rights, and the establishment of joint events and follow-up humanitarian issues of the Bengali community.