The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Thursday expressed grave concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Bangladesh, especially the safety of Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman in custody.“Rahman’s arrest is not only an attack upon media freedom but also is endangering the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh,” the rights body said in a statement on Thursday.
The AHRC called upon the international community as well as the global media, not to remain silent spectators of what is unfurling in Bangladesh.
Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan police arrested Mahmudur Rahman from his Karwanbazar office in the morning.
The rights watchdog also urged everyone concerned to intervene in their respective capacities to ensure the safety and freedom of human rights defenders and journalists in Bangladesh.
Mahmudur Rahman’s arrest is an attempt to stifle dissenting voice. He is in a serious risk of torture and even extrajudicial execution, the AHRC says.
Rahman’s arrest appears to be the continuation of large-scale and indiscriminate arrest and other forms of state-sponsored threats and intimidations against dissenting voices in Bangladesh, the statement said.
It clearly indicates the government’s lack of commitment and respect for human rights, and its open negation of its voluntary pledge to the international community, that it would protect, promote and fulfill human rights guarantees, it observed. UNB
