Nur Khan Liton is a prominent human rights activist in Bangladesh. He is currently a member of the executive committee of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), an advisor to the Human Rights Support Society and affiliated with 'Mayer Dak’, an organisation for families of those who have been disappeared or murdered. 
Recently, he has gained international recognition. His outspoken stance on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law has often put him at odds with the government. Despite this, he continues to work tirelessly and has received international accolades. In 2023, Liton was awarded the Global Human Rights Defender Awards by the United States Department of State. In an exclusive interview he discussed various issues including democracy, media, elections, human rights, and the rule of law in the country.

TMA: Tell us briefly about your birth, childhood and upbringing.

Nur Khan Liton: I was born in 1959 in my aunt's place in Laxmibazar, Dhaka. We are natives of Old Dhaka. My father was a government employee. In 1969 as a teenager, I witnessed the democratic movement. I saw the struggle for autonomy and the armed Liberation War. I personally witnessed my father getting injured in that movement. We had to endure nine months of hardship during that time. Every Bengali spent those days with a deep desire for victory. During my teenage years, I saw student movements and mass movements. I grew up hearing slogans like “Padma-Meghna-Jamuna", “Joy Bangla”, and "Pindi na Dhaka-Dhaka, Dhaka." From there, we nurtured a dream in our minds—the dream of freedom and social change. Those of us who were teenagers or young adults at that time had a strong desire for social change and as a result, many of us were involved in various socialist organisations. This was not just the case in Bangladesh but also in most countries around the world.
As I transitioned from my teenage years to young age, I became directly involved in the student politics. The strong desire for social change motivated me to get involved in politics. I wanted a just society, one without inequality, oppression or religious fanaticism. A society where social harmony would prevail and the education system would be people-oriented. 

There was a strong desire among the youth at that time for the equitable distribution of production. Consequently, we saw the rise of ideological politics. We saw how people sacrificed their lives for independence and social change, giving their greatest asset—their lives. 

Back then, whether it was student politics or national politics, there was a place for ethics and morality and there was ideological struggle in society. This is almost non-existent today. Due to the absence of ethics, politics has become criminalised. Looters have infiltrated politics. As a result, we see lawmakers being murdered and when we look into their backgrounds, we find connections to various illegal businesses and misuse of power. Hearing about the involvement of the police chief and the army chief in such matters is both shameful and saddening. These incidents do not align with the vision of a healthy democratic society that we dreamed of before and after independence. We see these events as the antithesis of our dreams.

TMA: What inspired you to work for human rights?

Nur Khan Liton: In my family, I had three brothers and four sisters. Because my father was a government employee, we had to live in various parts of the country. I interacted with people belonging to different places and closely observed their joys and sorrows. I spent most of my childhood with ordinary people. During that time, I was directly involved in the anti-Ershad movement against military rule. I was even arrested by the military and tortured in the cantonment.
After our victory in 1990, we saw democracy gradually being constricted in the governance of the country. The country was moving away from the core aspirations of the movement. From this frustration or perhaps a sense of inquiry about how we could break free from this situation, I became involved in the human rights movement.

The context of my involvement in the human rights movement began with the then student leader Shireen Akhter and Adilur Rahman Khan, who connected me with human rights leaders Salma Sobhan and Dr. Hamida Hossain. At that time, I conducted research on the prison management system in Bangladesh. Later, I worked on two research projects concerning garment workers. After successfully completing these projects, Salma Sobhan connected me with `Ain o Salish Kendra' in 1994. This is how I gradually became involved in the human rights movement of the country. Wherever I have worked, I have always been vocal about human rights. I have spoken for the weak, hard-working, and oppressed of this country. I am politically conscious, but I have never been affiliated with any political party.

TMA: How much of a role can the media play in preserving human rights?
Nur Khan Liton: It is very clear. The success of the work we do in the filed of human rights largely depends on media professionals. The media's role in preserving human rights is extremely important. When we learn about human rights violations in various sectors of Bangladesh today, we try to address them. Media professionals do the same work. We have to rely heavily on the media. We need their cooperation. Through them, we reach the public, which helps build public opinion. This, in turn, generates some form of resistance among the people, and some kind of coordination in this entire process is necessary. Human rights activists alone cannot shoulder the entire responsibility. Media professionals need to be involved and their help is essential. It is through their role that human rights activists succeed. A significant example of this is the seven-murder case in Narayanganj. 

Human rights activists received support from journalists at every stage. If the media had not brought the entire issue to the forefront, the public would not have questioned it. The public would not have been able to exert intense pressure. The issue would not have been revealed to the public. There are many such incidents. When the media is vocal about these events, they create a strong public outcry. Those in power are forced to take action under public pressure. To achieve positive outcomes, both human rights activists and journalists must work hand in glove. The media can play one of the most crucial roles in preserving human rights.

TMA: Do you think the media in Bangladesh is doing their duties? If not, what are the obstacles?
Nur Khan Liton: The media can only fulfil its responsibilities when its allowed to work unhindered. There should be no laws that bind it tightly, nor an environment where the media faces a frightening future while reporting news. Additionally, media owners should not be forced to bow  down before various pressures. In such situations, the media cannot publish accurate news. Often, they have to twist the truth or not publish it at all, or they may publish news as prescribed by the powerful.

An illustrative example is the case of Limon, a college student from Jhalakathi district, who lost his leg to a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) bullet. Initially, there was an attempt to defame his character. When that failed, some media outlets tried to portray him as an associate of the terrorists. However, a few bold newspapers consistently brought the truth to light, creating significant public outrage. Eventually, the RAB was forced to release him. We even saw that when the Prime Minister gave some instructions regarding Limon in an interview with BSS, the interview was taken down within 2 to 3 hours due to pressure from powerful quarters. Today, Limon is a teacher of Department of Law at Gono University, and this was made possible solely due to the active role of the media.

TMA: Do you believe that long-term control of power constricts the path of human rights?
Nur Khan Liton: Illegal control of power constricts the path of human rights. When democracy is stifled, accountability disappears, and transparency vanishes. In such a situation, journalists and human rights activists cannot work freely. They have to face many adverse conditions. Sometimes they are harassed or even imprisoned. Such a state cannot be called a democratic society.

TMA: In this context, do you think the Digital Security Act is a tool used by the government to violate human rights?
Nur Khan Liton: If we review the Digital Security Act, we see that journalists are its most frequent victims. The application of this law has created a climate of fear for journalists. We've seen journalists being taken in the middle of the night. We've seen 40-50 cases filed against journalists, with cases spread across different districts. This undermines the freedom of the press.

TMA: You have been vocal about the abuse of this law. There has also been also global outcry. Do you think the government is changing its stance or strategy? Why is this law indispensable for the government?

Nur Khan Liton: It is a repressive law, created to prolong a certain sections grab on power. Just as human rights activists like myself have been vocal about this law, it has also been widely discussed and criticised globally. However, an important point here is the intent of those who formulated this law. When there is authoritarian rule in a country or power is concentrated in the hands of one person, such repressive laws become commonplace.

TMA: In the current political situation, do you think the media is able to do its job correctly? If not, where is the obstruction?

Nur Khan Liton: Currently, the country is experiencing a political situation where organised gatherings are not allowed, the right to speak is suppressed, and politics is manipulated through various laws. Political workers are persecuted with fabricated charges. When people start asking questions, when they resort to protests and movements, the pace of justice accelerates. Yet, new cases keep emerging. The types of cases are such that a case involving 50 individuals is filed against 2-3 thousand people. These unknown individuals become accused, leading to persecution, giving birth to an environment of fear. Almost all opposition party activists have one or more cases against them. When authoritarian rule prevails in the country, or when power is concentrated in the hands of

one person, the idea of the state's independence becomes nonexistent.
A fair election—meaning, I will freely elect my representative, I will cast my vote, and that vote will be counted fairly, and that count will be made public—when this confidence is lost in society, democracy suffers greatly. We are currently going through such a period.

TMA: How do you see the relationship between politics and human rights?

Nur Khan Liton: If politics is for the people, human rights should be included in it. But currently, the policy-less politics is only power-centric. There is no concern for human rights protection; instead, politics nowadays appears to find pleasure in violating the rights of the people.

TMA: What is your expectation to The Mirror Asia in this regard?
Nur Khan Liton: My personal expectation that The Mirror Asia is that will courageously bring to light incidents of human rights violations and will be able to highlight injustice, oppression, and corruption before the people. If they can do this, The Mirror Asia will earn a place in people's hearts.