Today, 10 October 2014, is the 20th anniversary of Odhikar.  Odhikar was established by a group of young people who  strongly believed in democracy, human rights and rule of law; who protested and fought against the autocratic regime of Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Ershad was toppled by a mass movement in December 1990, mainly [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 8 August 2014) – The Bangladeshi security force’s violent dispersal of a hunger strike by over a thousand workers at the Tuba group of factories on 6 August 2014 has been slammed by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) as the latest in a long list of recent violations of the [ Read more ]

Oral Statement Delivered by Gayathry Venkiteswaran on behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)   Wednesday, 11 June 2014   Thank you Mr. President. FORUM-ASIA welcomes the reports of the two Special Rapporteurs. Concerns identified by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and [ Read more ]

The UN Human Rights Council will hold its 26th regular session from 10 to 27 June 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. FORUM-ASIA interventions, statements and events during this session will appear on this page.   Oral Statements Panel Discussion on the safety of journalists (Human Rights Council decision 24/116) (11 June 2014) Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA Statement:  18 May 2014  FORUM-ASIA Executive Committee Member Adilur Rahman Khan, Recipient of 2014 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights  A Testament to the Indomitable Spirit of Human Rights Defenders The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) extends its heartfelt congratulations to long-time human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of Odhikar, FORUM-ASIA’s [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 16 May 2014) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights NGO, strongly condemns the failure of the Government in preventing the security forces from committing and aiding serious human rights violations. The recent attempted abduction of Mr. Mohammad Nur Khan, Director of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) at a time [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 17 April 2014) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights NGO, expressed grave concern over the abduction of Mr. Abu Bakar Siddique, the husband of prominent human rights defender Ms. Sayeda Rizwana Hasan. The human rights group urged the Government of Bangladesh to expedite efforts to ensure [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Geneva, 28 March 2014) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group, has expressed concern over the lack of cooperation of a number of Asian states with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in 2013. The regional human rights group said this following [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 8 January 2014) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group with 47 member organisations from 16 countries across Asia, expresses serious concern over continuing crackdown on opposition leaders and the ensuing violence perpetrated by different political forces centering recent elections. Over the last few weeks, violence [ Read more ]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Dhaka, 25 September 2013) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a regional human rights group with 47 member organisations from 16 countries across Asia, expresses its deep concerns over the continued detention of Adilur Rahman Khan and deteriorating environment for freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Adilur Rahman Khan, [ Read more ]