Justice for Preeti Urang demanded
Rights bodies call for fair probe into her death
Staff Correspondent Tue Feb 13, 2024 12:00 AM
Human Rights Forum Bangladesh, a platform of 20 rights and development organisations, yesterday demanded fair and impartial investigation and justice for Preeti Urang, a house help who fell to her death from the eighth-floor flat of The Daily Star executive editor.
In a statement, the platform also demanded formulation of a law to protect house helps.
Preeti Urang, 15, from Moulvibazar’s Kamolganj upazila, who died after falling from the Mohammadpur flat of Syed Ashfaqul Haque, executive editor of The Daily Star, on February 6.
Her father Lokesh Urang, a tea worker in Mirtinga, filed a case over her death against Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khondoker the next day. The couple were subsequently sent to jail.
Meanwhile, police yesterday interrogated the two at the jail gates as per court directives, and may submit the report before the court today, Sub-inspector of Mohammadpur Police Station Nazmul Hasan, also the investigating officer of the case, told The Daily Star last night.
In the statement, the Forum demanded proper implementations of the Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Guidelines 2015 and enactment of a law in accordance with the policy.
It also demanded that domestic work be categorised as “hazardous labour” under the labour law. The platform called on the public and private institutions to make sure that no underage workers or minors are employed in hazardous work.
In addition, they demanded registration of domestic workers. The Forum also called for effective steps to prevent recurrence of such deaths.
Members of the Forum, whose secretariat is at the office of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), are Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), Association for Land Reform and Development, Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS), Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movements, Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP), FAIR, Kapaeeng Foundation, Karmojibi Nari (KN), Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Nagorik Uddyog, Naripokkho, National Alliance of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (NADPO), Nijera Kori, Steps Towards Development (Steps), Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF).
The Forum has a seven-member steering committee. The committee members are Faruk Faisal, executive director, ASK; Shaheen Anam, executive director, MJF; Zakir Hossain, chief executive, Nagorik Uddyog; Sara Hossain, executive director (unsalaried), BLAST; Ranjan Karmaker, executive director, Steps Towards Development; Sanjib Drong, secretary general, Bangladeshi Adivasi Forum; and Saleh Ahmed, executive director, Bondhu Social Welfare Society.
In a separate statement yesterday, Naripokkho demanded an independent investigation to ensure justice.
“It must be ensured that anyone culpable cannot go scot-free by exercising undue influence, or taking advantage of the legal loopholes,” Naripokkho said.
The women’s rights organisation also demanded effective measures to stop recurrence of such incidents.
