CHAPTER ONE Introduction Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni at NHRC. NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (NHRC) Background After the Second World War, the world manifested its deep concern for Human Rights. The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 of 1948. Later on, the UN adopted two Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Civil and Political Rights on 16th December 1966. Bangladesh acceded to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 6 September 2000 and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 5 October, 1998. 16 Since its inception, Bangladesh has been actively participating in all these developments. Moreover, the State was also facing severe pressure to address the alleged violations of human rights particularly among the minorities, ethnic and other marginalized groups by the law enforcing agencies and other State actors. Establishment of the NHRC The establishment of a National Human Rights Institution for the promotion and protection of human rights was a long standing demand from the civil society groups as well as members of the International Community. The Civil Society