Lalmonirhat representative: Harijans still cannot eat in restaurants in Lalmonirhat. In the investigation report sent to the National Human Rights Commission, the district administration claims that people from the Harijan community have started eating in the restaurant. Eating outside is decreasing. But reality showed a different picture. Harijans are being ignored as before in Lalmonirhat. They were not allowed to sit and eat in the restaurant.
Last January 4, two children of the Harijan community were sitting outside the restaurant and eating on a piece of paper with their parents. Mohammad Abdul Alim, Professor of Law at Rajshahi University, drew the attention of the Human Rights Commission Chairman by posting on his Facebook wall. In the post, he writes that still, the residents of Lalmonirhat’s Storepara (Harijan) have to sit and eat outside the restaurant. Human Rights Commission Chairman Kamal Uddin took note of the matter. He asked the Lalmonirhat District Commissioner to investigate and submit a report by January 22.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ullah sent the investigation report to the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission on January 18. Professor Mohammad Abdul Alim rejected that report. He wrote to the Human Rights Commission that, in fact, if his (the district administrator’s) statement was correct, the people of the Harijan community, including him, would have been happy. Harijans are advised about cleanliness, grouping, etc. Based on the commission’s insistence, the district administration convened Additional District Magistrate TMA Momin and constituted a one-member inquiry committee. According to the report, about 74 families of the Harijan community live in the Storepara (Sweeper Colony) area. They complain that the restaurants in the railroad station area do not allow them to eat inside. Regarding the complaint, the restaurant owners told the inquiry committee that people from the Harijan community often come to eat at the hotel without cleaning properly after various cleaning tasks. This makes others uncomfortable. The hotel owners have assured me that they will arrange separate seats inside the hotel for the people of this community.
Professor Mohammad Abdul Alim expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation report of the Deputy Commissioner and told the media that discrimination still exists in society due to their inaction and lack of effective action. He requested a direct inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission to protect the rights of Harijans.
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ullah said that the report did not say that the problem had been solved. It stated that the problem is being resolved.
