Dhaka: The UN rights council has voiced its displeasure over the ongoing persecution and detention of human rights advocates in Bangladesh, including Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus and the directors of the well-known rights group Odhikar.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on authorities in the South Asian country to create a “safe and enabling environment” for activists and civil society leaders. “We are very concerned by the continued intimidation and harassment of human rights advocates and civil society leaders through legal proceedings in Bangladesh, including Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.
“The legal harassment of civil society leaders, human rights defenders and other dissenting voices is a worrying sign for civic and democratic space in Bangladesh,” Shamsadani said. Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan from Odhikar have been slapped with criminal cases for a fact-finding report about extrajudicial killings 10 years ago.
Extrajudicial killings
Since Hasina took office in 2008, security personnel are said to have committed hundreds of extrajudicial executions, targeting political opponents and human rights advocates. The US slapped sanctions on the elite paramilitary force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), in December 2021 over its alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Furthermore, Washington has threatened to restrict visas for Bangladeshis who interfere in upcoming elections. Because Bangladesh's government has criticised the country's human rights record, Hasina has charged that the US is trying to topple the Bangladeshi government.