EU asks Dhaka to let civil society function without reprisals

Staff Reporter  :
European Union External Action, the diplomatic service and combined foreign and defence ministry of the European Union, on Friday said that they have followed the Odhikar case closely and urged the government of Bangladesh to follow the due process.

In a statement, its spokesperson Nabila Massrali said, the EU has followed the Odhikar case closely and has repeatedly raised with the Bangladeshi authorities the need for due process for Odhikar’s leadership.

The EU has also expressed its concern about the deregistration of Odhikar, which has made it excessively difficult for the organisation to function, it said.

Just after a day of the sentencing Adilur Rahman Khan, secretary of NGO Odhikar, and A S M Nasiruddin, director of the organisation, to two years of imprisonment on charges under the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006, the statement said.

In the statement, the spokesperson further said that the EU calls on the Government of Bangladesh to foster an enabling environment for civil society to carry out their work without fear of reprisals.

Freedom of expression, freedom of association and a vibrant civil society are essential in a democratic society, it added.

On 14 September, in Dhaka, the Cyber Tribunal sentenced Adilur Rahman Khan and A S M Nasiruddin. They were subsequently detained in custody.