Nirupa Dewan

Nirupa Dewan is an indigenous rights activist and member of the Women Affairs Reform Commission of the Muhammad Yunus led interim government.[1] former commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.[2][3] She is a member of the CHT Nagorik Committee.[4] She is a member of the governing body of the Manusher Jonno Foundation.[5]

Early life

Dewan was born to Suprava Dewan and Pravat Ranjan Dewan.[6] She established the Moanoghar Supravat Memorial Scholarship with her brother Robin Dewan in memory of their parents.[6] She graduated from Aparnacharan City Corporation Girls' High School and College in 1968 and Chittagong College in 1970.[6] She finished a Bachelor of Arts at Chittagong College in 1973.[6] She completed a B.Ed. and M.Ed. at the Government Teachers' Training College, Dhaka in 1978 and 1991 respectively.[6]

Career

Dewan joined the Rangamati Government Girls' High School in 2005 and retired as the principal in 2009.[6]

On 24 June 2010, President Zillur Rahman appointed Dewan member of the National Human Rights Commission replacing Professor Giasuddin Molla.[7] Mollah had been terminated after his appointment following an allegation of sexual harassment from a student at the University of Dhaka, where he taught.[8]

Dewan participated in a human chain demanding the full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 2013.[9] She visited Banshkhali Upazilaafter the 2013 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence by Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami.[10] The violence started after the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Delwar Hossain Sayeedi to death for war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[10] She demanded an investigation into the attack on the Chakma queen, Rani Yan Yan, by security forces after she went to visit two Marma sisters raped by security personnel.[11][12] In 2019, she received the IPDC-Prothom-alo Priyo Shikkhok Shommanona Award from Prothom Alo and IPDC Finance Limited.[13]

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, Dewan met with the chief advisor Muhammad Yunus of the interim government at Jamuna State Guest House along with other women leaders.[14][15] She was included in a Women Affairs Reform Commission established by the new regime.[1] She attended a meeting of the Constitutional Reform Commission led by Professor Ali Riaz in November 2024.[4]

Dewan is the vice president of Moanoghar, a non-profit founded by Buddhist monks for development work in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.[16][17] Regarding the Kuki-Chin National Front she said, “Even a child could say who are behind the KNF, especially after watching their activities. Such groups work to destroy the main spirit of peace accord. And a powerful clique has been fanning them from behind. But this is nothing new in the hills. The government should never entertain them.”[18][19]

References

  1. ^ a b "Govt forms Women's Affairs Reform Commission". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  2. ^ "Indigenous Cultural Festival in Rangamati begins". The Daily Star. 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  3. ^ "Towards an Independent and Credible NHRC: Agendas for Reform". The Daily Star. 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  4. ^ a b "Decentralise power, adopt provincial govt system". The Daily Star. 2024-11-18. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  5. ^ "A step towards alleviating poverty". The Daily Star. 2023-06-15. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Moanoghar Supravat Memorial Scholarship" (PDF). Moanoghar. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Law and Our Rights". archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  8. ^ "Prof Molla fired from NHRC". Bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  9. ^ "Stop fratricidal conflict among political parties in CHT". The Daily Star. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  10. ^ a b "Safety is all they want". The Daily Star. 2013-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  11. ^ "Conduct impartial probe into 'attack' on Chakma queen". The Daily Star. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  12. ^ "Attack on Chakma Queen condemned -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  13. ^ "NEWS AND INSIGHTS". www.ipdcbd.com. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  14. ^ "Women leaders meet chief adviser with proposals for reform". The Daily Star. 2024-08-20. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  15. ^ "Women leaders demand treatment of injured persons, formation of judiciary reform commission". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  16. ^ Moanoghar. "Moanoghar Executive commitee members". www.moanoghar.org. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  17. ^ Moanoghar. "Our History". www.moanoghar.org. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  18. ^ Saha, Partha Shankar (2024-04-14). "Rise of KNF: Why does KNF oppose CHT Peace Accord and JSS?". Prothomalo. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  19. ^ "In Bandarban operation, Bangladesh targets Muslim militant-hill tribe rebel link". Benar News. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
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