13 envoys appalled by Mushtaq’s death ; demand inquiry

UNB, Dhaka :
Thirteen Ambassadors and High Commissioners stationed in Dhaka on Friday urged the government of Bangladesh to conduct a “swift, transparent, and independent inquiry” into the full circumstances of writer Mushtaq Ahmed’s death in police custody.
The diplomats of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries with missions in Bangladesh made the call in a joint statement expressing their grave concerns over the death. The OECD is a grouping of 37 advanced economies.
“The undersigned Heads of Mission in Dhaka express our grave concern about the death in custody of Mushtaq Ahmed on 25 February 2021,” reads the joint statement.
Ahmed had been held in pre-trial detention since 5 May 2020 under the provisions of the Digital Security Act (DSA).
“We understand that he had been denied bail on several occasions and that concerns had been raised about his treatment while he was imprisoned,” the said.
The diplomats expressed their sincere condolences to his family and friends.
“We will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh on our Governments’ wider concerns about the provisions and implementation of the DSA, as well as questions about its compatibility with Bangladesh’s obligations under international
human rights laws and standards,” said the diplomats. The signatories of the statement are High Commissioner of Canada Benoit Prefontaine, Ambassador of Denmark Winnie Estrup Petersen, Ambassador of the EU Rensje Teerink, Ambassador of France Jean-Marin Schuh, Ambassador of Germany Peter Fahrenholtz, Ambassador of Italy Enrico Nunziata, Ambassador of the Netherlands Harry Verweij, Ambassador of Norway Espen Rikter-Svendsen, Ambassador of Spain Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas, Ambassador of Sweden Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Switzerland Nathalie Chuard, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom Robert Chatterton Dickson and Ambassador of the United States of America Earl R. Miller.