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]