As two members of prominent human rights NGO Odhikar will face trial
tomorrow in Dhaka in relation to their human rights activities, the
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH-OMCT
joint programme, publishes today an international mission report on
the situation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh.
“ NGO activists, lawyers, journalists and trade unionists trying to
defend the victims of human rights violations remain inadequately
protected and suffer repression for carrying out legitimate activities
under international law ”, said Karim Lahidji, President of the
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). “ Presently, two
members of Odhikar, a respected human rights NGO, are facing judicial
harassment for publishing a report on police repression ”, he added.
Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar and a member of the
General Assembly of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT),
whose trial will resume tomorrow (Nov 10), was detained from August 10
to October 11, 2013. Mr. Nasiruddin Elan, Director of Odhikar, was
sent to prison on November 6. Both have been harassed after Odhikar
published a report on the repression of a demonstration of
fundamentalists by the police last May.
In Bangladesh, the political atmosphere is fundamentally polarised,
and the situation is becoming increasingly tensed in the lead-up to
the general elections due to take place before the end of January
2014.
“We are alarmed over the present situation and the risk of further
repression of human rights defenders in the upcoming pre-election
context. Human rights work is in the inherent interest of any nation,
no matter who the victim may be. This voice needs to be heard even in
times of political tension”, declared Gerald Staberock, Secretary
General of OMCT. “There is a heavy burden on all actors, State
authorities, political parties and the media alike, to withstand the
temptation of labelling human rights defenders as pro-government or
anti-government, depending on whom they criticise or which party is in
power”, he added.
The trade union environment is also generally polarised along party
lines, and the few independent unions that exist face obstacles to
their work, including daily harassment by the authorities. The
enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing of labour leader and
human rights defender Aminul Islam in 2012 reminded the international
community and human rights defenders on the ground how risky
independent labour rights activities could be in Bangladesh.
Authorities failed to launch any effective investigation about his
assassination.
The Observatory concludes that as long as corruption is not curbed,
and in the absence of a peaceful and constructive political
environment, of legislation promoting human rights and of an
independent judiciary, abuses of power and arbitrary practices will
continue. These make the exercise of fundamental freedoms more
difficult, hinder the strengthening of an independent civil society,
and maintain human rights defenders in the trap of a disabling
environment.
The Observatory Mission Report, titled “Human rights defenders trapped
in a polarised political environment ”, outlines recommendations to
the Bangladeshi authorities, the United Nations, the European Union
and other foreign diplomacies.
(Source: http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/obs_rapportbangladeshuk-ld.pdf
http://www.omct.org/files/ 2013/11/22434/bangladesh_obs_mission_report.pdf)
