One month after his arbitrary arrest by the Detective Branch of Police on 10 September 2013,, Adilur Rhaman Khan, Secretary General of Odhikar and AFAD Council Member remains in jail. The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) calls on the Hasina Government to accord him due process in his legal recourse to freedom.

Based on our information, the Sessions Judge Court rejected the bail petition on 9 September though according to lawyers of Adilur, the charge against him under Sections 57 (1) and (2) of the Information and Communication Technology Act of 2006 is bailable. On 5 September, documents on his case were also transferred to the newly-formed Cyber Crimes Tribunal.

It must be recalled that Adilur was charged for allegedly distorting facts about Hefazat-e-Islam and photographs using Photoshop. Odhikar, a human rights organization of which Adilur sits as Secretary, published a fact-finding report in May of the killings of 61 persons in a crackdown in Shapla Chottor. Odhikar is standing by the truthfulness of its documentation report and AFAD supports its member-organization’s call for an independent body to investigate the incident that has been the subject of Adil’s case.

AFAD is also concerned of the continuing attack against Odhikar and its officers. Immediately after Adilur’s arrest, the office of Odhikar was searched and five office computers were seized. Now, its Executive Director, Nasiruddin Elan is included in the charge against Adilur and has been in hiding since then. A warrant of arrest was issued on 9 September. Judge AKM Shamsul Alam asked Gulshan police to submit a report on the execution of the arrest warrant by 19 September. Staff members of Odhikar are under heavy surveillance, a situation impeding its work in monitoring human rights abuses in the country. Those organizations affiliated with Odhikar are also intimidated.

We believe that the situation of Adilur, the arrest warrant against Nasirrudin and other forms of harassment faced by members of Odhikar are attacks to their civil liberties as well as to the defense of human rights in Bangladesh in general. We reiterate our call to the Hasina government to comply with its commitment to improving the human rights situation of the country.

AFAD seeks the support of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders to intervene and ensure the protection of human rights defenders in Bangladesh.

Signed and authenticated by:

MUGIYANTO
Chairperson

MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO
Secretary-General