Dhaka explains govt position
The European Union (EU) and the US have expressed their concern over the detention of Odhikar secretary Adilur Rahman Khan.
They also laid emphasis on the need to follow the due process in all proceedings against the official of the human rights organisation, who was arrested by police on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has insisted that the Odhikar secretary was arrested following due legal procedures, only after a general diary was filed.
“We have conveyed our detailed concerns about the detention of Mr Adilur Rahman Khan to the relevant authorities in Bangladesh. It is essential that no harm comes to him,” said a EU press statement on Monday.
“We urge the authorities to observe due process at all stages of the proceedings against him, and in particular ensure full respect for his human rights,” it said, adding, “The EU diplomatic missions to Bangladesh have been closely monitoring the case of Mr Adilur Rahman Khan, the Secretary of Odhikar, since the news of his detention first broke on Saturday 10th August.”
“Respect for human rights and democratic principles as laid down in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights underpins the domestic and international policies of Bangladesh and the EU, and constitutes an essential element of our relations, as spelt out in Article 1 of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on partnership and development,” said the statement.
“We are familiar with Mr Adilur Rahman Khan and with Odhikar’s reporting of human rights abuses in Bangladesh. We consider that a vibrant civil society and the work of human rights defenders have important roles to play in the strengthening of human rights in this country,” it said.
The diplomatic missions of Norway and Switzerland in Bangladesh associate themselves with this statement, it added.
Expressing deep concern over the Odhikar secretary’s detention, the US called upon the authorities to release him immediately from detention.
“We are deeply concerned by Odhikar Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan’s detention late Saturday night by the police,” Viraj LeBailly of the US embassy in Dhaka told The Independent on Monday.
“In a democracy, it is essential that the government create an environment in which organizations like Odhikar can freely operate,” she said.
“We have reached out to the government for an explanation of Adil’s detention, noting that the human rights activist’s detention is reverberating negatively around the world, where the work of Odhikar and other human rights organizations is widely appreciated,” said the official.
“We urge Bangladeshi authorities to effect Adil’s immediate release from detention while the government pursues through the judicial process any legal issues it may have against him,” she added.
According to sources in the foreign ministry, the US State Department has also communicated with the Bangladesh embassy in Washington to register its concern about Khan’s detention. The sources confirmed that the US embassy in Dhaka had also contacted the foreign ministry about the issue. The US embassy official wanted to know the nature of charges that resulted in the detention, they said.
“We strongly urge the authorities to treat Adilur Rahman Khan in accordance with Bangladeshi and international laws,” said a source quoting the US official. In response, the foreign minister has provided an ‘aide memoire’, a written summary or outline of important items of a diplomatic communication, to the US embassy explaining the government’s position on the arrest of the Odhikar secretary.
“He (Adil) was arrested in connection with a general diary filed against him with the Gulshan police station under Article 57(1) and (2) of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006,” stated the ‘aide memoire’ obtained by The Independent.
-With The Independent input
