Bangladesh: The Government must amend the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009, with a view to broadening its mandate to protect and promote human rights (Bangkok/Kathmandu, 25 March 2022) – The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) urges the Government of Bangladesh to take immediate measures to amend the National Human Rights [ Read more ]

To: The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Subject: International coalition of organizations calls on the BTRC to withdraw and reconsider the “Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms” Respected Chairperson, Commissioners, and staff of the BTRC, The undersigned organizations urge you to protect peopleʼs rights and freedoms, and enable an [ Read more ]

Date: Tuesday, 8 March 2022 Time: 13:00 – 14:30 (CET, Geneva) / 19:00 – 20:30 (ICT, Bangkok) Register here: l.forum-asia.org/HRC48.HRD.Register Live via: Zoom, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube Human rights defenders (HRDs) play a key role in upholding and advancing human rights. In response to their bold and tireless work, HRDs become targets of harassment and attacks by [ Read more ]

Joint written statement to the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council The undersigned organisations wish to draw the Human Rights Council’s attention to the escalating human rights violations perpetrated by the Bangladesh government. For decades, torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, along with detention and harassment of human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists [ Read more ]

(New York, January 20, 2022) – The United Nations Department of Peace Operations should ban Bangladesh’s notoriously abusive paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from UN deployment, 12 organizations said in a letter to Under Secretary General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, made public today. Human rights organizations have documented widespread RAB abuses. UN human rights experts have also [ Read more ]

(December 14, 2021) – Bangladesh authorities must end the harassment of Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, respectively Secretary and Director of the human rights group Odhikar, who have been targeted through the misuse of the criminal justice system, eleven rights groups said today. On December 15, 2021, the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka will [ Read more ]

The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) launched the ANNI Report 2020 on the Performance of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), that critically assesses the performance of NHRIs against the Paris Principles in 2020. The Paris Principles are the minimum international standards for ensuring independent, effective, and credible NHRIs for the promotion [ Read more ]

48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 5: Interactive dialogue on the Secretary General’s report on alleged reprisals against those who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms  Delivered by Ahmed Adam On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) 29 September [ Read more ]

Odhikar, our member from Bangladesh, has published a joint statement with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH): BANGLADESH: Investigate deadly factory fire, compensate victims Dhaka/Paris; 13 July 2021: Bangladeshi authorities should conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into a deadly fire, make the findings of the investigation public, and prosecute all those responsible, [ Read more ]

(Bangkok, 5 August 2021) ‒ The fire at the Hashem Foods and Beverages factory on 8 July owned by the Sajeeb Group in Rupganj, in the Narayanganj district of Bangladesh, is yet another industrial disaster resulting from lax enforcement and negligence by government agencies and businesses. The Bangladesh authorities should promptly investigate the incident, hold [ Read more ]