National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed on Tuesday highlighted the role of journalists and media in establishing human rights in the society.

"Bangladesh had achieved independence through a long fight for human rights and journalists were in front and had played a crucial role during the nine months of Liberation War. No doubt, they were and are the power of source for establishing our rights as human," he said while chairing a view-exchange meeting titled 'Role of Journalists in Protecting Human Rights', held at a city hotel in the afternoon.

"We are committed to betterment of people whose rights are being violated. And we need a combined effort of civil society, media and commission to reach our goal," he said.

He also said that the process of drafting 'Human Rights Award' to honor the persons and institutions working to establish basic human rights is underway and very soon the commission will reveal the details.

Journalist Syed Borhan Kabir presented the keynote paper.

"Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt of a humane Bangladesh. Ensuring the basic human rights is a must if we want to fulfill that dream and journalists can play the role as a watchdog here," Kabir said in the paper.

NHRC full-time member Md Salim Reza, Secretary Sebastin Rema, General Secretary of Jatiya Press Club Shyamal Dutta, and Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP, Anowarul Haq, also spoke.

NHRC Director Md Ashraful Alam (District and Sessions Judge), honorary member of NHRC Professor Dr Tania Haque, Director Kazi Arfan Ashik, Deputy Directors Sushmita Paik and Farzana Nazneen and officials of the Swiss Embassy, among others, were present at the meeting.