Certificate Award Ceremony of Human Rights Law Clinic

The Certificate Award Ceremony of the Human Rights Law Clinic (HRLC) at the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) was held on 10 April 2013 at UMSAILS’ conference room in Dhaka. 

Dr. Kamal Hossain is handing over a certificate.

Eminent Jurist and Chairperson of the Governing Council of UMSAILS, Dr. Kamal Hossain has distributed certificates as the Guest of Honour among 13 graduated Volunteers of the HRLC.

Dr. Kamal Hossain

In his speech, Dr. Hossain said, ethical lawyering is vital for promoting and ensuring Rule of Law in the country.

Dr. Hossain is also the Chairperson of Bangladesh Chapter of the South Asia Foundation(SAF). The SAF, which was founded by renowned Philanthropist Ambassador Madanjeet Singh, is the sponsor of UMSAILS.  

Speaking to young Law Students, Dr. Hossain said that law is an instrument of social change. Therefore, curriculum of Legal education should have social connections, so that students could have exposures in that regard. Underlining on needs of introducing Clinical Legal Education in the country, he said that Bangladesh Bar Council and various Bar Associations have a pivotal role in this regard. He continued on saying that Ethics and Professional Code of Conduct are must in the legal curriculum.  

Dr. Kamal Hossain is addressing the function.

According to Dr. Hossain, it is the high time to look into what are requirements and demands of the time given the emerging global context of legal profession, and what students do want out of that. The Legal Education should be reformed in that line, he opined. 

He said that Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), which is to mark 20 years this year, was established with an aim to provide opportunities for fresh law graduates to be engaged in legal and judicial services and activism up to grassroots levels.

Dr. Hossain, in his speech, remembered contribution of late Dr. Mohiuddin Farooque for promoting the concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bangladesh through his legal and judicial activism and in establishing the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). 

Dr. Hossain has completed 54 years in legal profession this year, which also include eight years of teaching as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of International Relations and the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka.

Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Vice Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific and Vice Chairperson of SAF Bangladesh Chapter, Advocate Z. I. Khan, Member of the Board of Trustees of BLAST, and Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Dhaka International University spoke on the function. 

Victoria Chakma and Emraan Azad, who are Students of Law at the University of Dhaka and Participants of the HRLC, also shared their views on the programme. 

Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, a Human Rights Lawyer and Honorary Director of the HRLC moderated the session.

Graduated Volunteers of HRLC with Distinguished Guests.

A total of 13 Volunteers, representing five Law Schools/departments in Dhaka, have graduated in the first batch (July-December 2012) of the HRLC.There are 20 Participants in the 2^nd Batch (January-June 2013).   

The HRLC, first of its kind in Bangladesh, is to provide a platform for training, mentoring and practices for Students-Volunteers. The areas of focus are analysis, research and writing, pro bono human rights works and legal services, legal and judicial activism among other issues. 

Related Report: 
Star Campus (21 April 2013)
 
For details, kindly visit www.sails-law.org. 

 

Architectural Design Competition for Design of UMSAILS Building

UMSAILS signs MoU with Institute of Architects Bangladesh

UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) for organizing an Open Architectural Design Competition for the design of UMSAILS Building.
The MoU was signed at a function at UMSAILS conference room at Dhanmondi in Dhaka on Wednesday (12 December).
Dr. Kamal Hossain, Chairperson of the Governing Council of UMSAILS and Architect Mubasshar Hussain, President of IAB signed the documents on behalf of their respective Institutions.
Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Vice Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific and Member, Governing Council of UMSAILS, Dr. Sharif Bhuiyan, Director of UMSAILS, Dr. Fuad Hasan Mallick, Chair, Department of Architecture, BRAC University,  Architect Mohammad Fayez Ulla, Managing Director of VolumeZero, Architect Marina Tabassum of MTArchitekts, Competition Director Architect Selim Altaf Biplob, Assistant Competition Coordinator Architect Suriya Zabin, and Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, Deputy Director (on sabbatical) of UMSAILS were among those present at the signing ceremony.
A notice for the competition will be announced soon for the competition; there are three categories of cash prizes: Fist Prize- Taka 500,000, Second Prize- Taka 250,000 and Third Prize- Taka 150,000.
BRAC, the world’s largest non-government development organization, has gifted a piece of land to UMSAILS for construction of its academic building and ancillary facilities at Khagan, Savar in the District of Dhaka.
Founder Chairperson of BRAC, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has handed over the related documents to the Governing Council of UMSAILS at a simple ceremony on 22 May 2012.
UMSAILS, an affiliate of BRAC University, is scheduled to start its first academic programme: Master of Laws (LL.M.) in South Asian Common Laws from September 2013.   
UMSAILS is a grantee of the South Asia Foundation (SAF), which is founded by Renowned Philanthropist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh.  

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The Sasia Story presented to IAB President by UMSAILS

UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) has presented copies of The Sasia Story to the President of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), Architect Mubasshar Hussain. 

Dr. Kamal Hossian, Chairperson of the Governing Council of UMSAILS presented the book at a function on 12 December 2012 in Dhaka. It is written by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh.

The book reflects on South Asian Regional Integration and Cooperation. 

Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Vice Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific and Member, Governing Council of UMSAILS, Dr. Sharif Bhuiyan, Director of UMSAILS, Dr. Fuad Hasan Mallick, Chair, Department of Architecture, BRAC University,  Architect Mohammad Fayez Ulla, Managing Director of VolumeZero, Architect Marina Tabassum of MTArchitekts, Competition Director Architect Selim Altaf Biplob, Assistant Competition Coordinator Architect Suriya Zabin, and Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, Deputy Director (on sabbatical) of UMSAILS were among those present at the presentation.  

UMSAILS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IAB for organizing an Open Architectural Design Competition for the design of UMSAILS Building.

Sasia is the name Ambassador Singh, who dreams of a integrate South Asia, has coined for regional common currency like Euro. It will become the anchor of economic stability and regional cooperation, as Ambassador Singh dreams.

The book is published by the University Press Limited in Dhaka; it has English and Bangla versions.

Ambassador Singh was born on 16 April 1924 in Lahore, present-day Pakistan. A well-known painter and distinguished photographer, he is an internationally known author of several books. He served with Indian Foreign Service from 1953 to 1982 and was Ambassador in Asia, South America, Africa and Europe. Ambassador Singh also worked with UNESCO in Paris.

In 2000, he was designated as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador on the United Nations’ International Day of Tolerance. He is the Founder Chairperson of South Asia Foundation.

In recognition of his lifelong devotion to the cause of communal harmony and peace, the biennial ‘UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence’ was unanimously created by the 52-member UNESCO Executive Board at their meetings in Paris and Fez (16 May to 4 June 1995).  

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- UMSAILS Release 

Public Lecture on Constitutionalism

Dr. Kamal Hossain urges for practice of rule of law

Eminent Jurist Dr. Kamal Hossain has said the ownership of the State belongs to the People, and the elected representatives are mandated to serve the people in line with the Constitution.

He observed that for establishing rule of law there are requirements of good intentions and consciousness among politicians. Impartiality of the administration is also necessary, he continued; otherwise only law will not serve purposes.  

Regarding impunity for the convicts, he told that this should be practised very carefully- on a case by case basis; and on a rare circumstance only for ensuring justice. If it is done on a wholesale basis and also on a political consideration then it is tantamount to abuse of authority and power, and gross violations of Constitutional provisions. 

He said this on 26 November 2012 at a public lecture on Constitutionalism organized by the Human Rights Law Clinic (HRLC) at UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) in Dhaka.

Dr. Hossain, also the Chairperson of the Governing Council of UMSAILS observed that the political use of a religion could not bring any benefit to any society; Pakistan is an example in that regard. 

Referring to the 15^th Amendment of Bangladesh Constitution, he opined that making Islam as the State religion has gone against the tradition of secularism practised by people here for centuries; it is also against the spirit of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

He said that during the Liberation War in 1971, the Pakistani military has committed genocide against the Bangalees in (present) Bangladesh in the name of protecting a particular religion. 

Referring to incidents of extra-judicial killings by members of law enforcement agencies, the renowned jurist said that those are violations of fundamental rights and against the rule of law. On increasing incidents of lynching, he observed that those reflect erosion of tolerance in the society and lack of respect for rule of law. As a remedy, Dr. Hossain emphasized on strengthening capacity of police and to enhance professionalism among them.

“For ensuring a discrimination and violence free society, we should promote and uphold the spirit of the Constitution and rule of law,” he said. He underlined on importance of educating people on basic principles of the Constitution.

Barrister Abdul Halim and Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary among others participated in the open discussion. Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, a Human Rights Lawyer gave the address of welcome. 

The session was attended by 40 law students, legal academics and practitioners.#

Reported by: Akramul Islam, Emraan Azad, Mahady Hasan and Srabani.  

                  Dr. Kamal Hossain with Participants of Human Rights Law Clinic.