NHRC Chairman: Preventing or forcing voting violates human rights

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed has said preventing someone from voting as well as forcing someone to vote are both violations of human rights.

He said voting is a right. It is also a right not to vote and not to participate in voting.

NHRC chairman made the comments in response to questions from reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday.

In response to a question about whether any political party’s intervention through election boycott would violate human rights, he said that casting a vote is compulsory in many countries of the world. But there is no such rule in Bangladesh.

“That's why I would say, if someone doesn't want to vote, that's his wish. If someone wants to vote, he should not be prevented. No one has the right to interrupt; It is a violation of the law, it is a violation of human rights. And if someone doesn't want to vote, he is forced to vote, which is also a violation of the code of conduct. If someone does not want to vote, if he is forcibly taken away, that is also a violation of human rights,” said the commission chairman.

Referring to the reason for the meeting with the CEC, Dr Kamal Uddin said: "We are in the process of holding a national election. National election will be held in the next few days... Constitutionally exercising the right to vote is a right of everyone. Election and being elected is a right of the citizens of the country. We have discussed how that right can be exercised properly and a fair national election is conducted in the country.” 

There was discussion on pre-election behaviour and activities, election-time behaviour and post-election behaviour in the meeting, he added.