The catch-all definition of national security must not be used as a cloak to hide abuses.

The Bangladesh government has again taken a protective stance regarding the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations.

United Nations member states yesterday urged Bangladesh to investigate rights violations by law enforcers, protect civil rights and ensure free and fair trials.

Human rights organisations and activists, who work to document incidents of enforced disappearances, operate under the burden of judicial harassment as they face a bevy of legal cases and police investigations.

Even if the state has an objection against a citizen’s activity, can they legally pick up that person?

So who determines what is ‘required’ to ensure that welfare?

It is unfortunate that security agencies have been used in a manner that has generated more fear in people’s mind than confidence and faith in them.

Well-known civic rights activist Mizanur Rahman’s narration of his harrowing experience of being picked up by police and tortured under custody, published in this newspaper’s online version on June 15, gives us some disturbing snapshots of the unlawful actions of our law enforcement agencies.