(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 ]

Odhikar, our member from Bangladesh, has prepared a human rights monitoring report on Bangladesh based on the human rights situation in the country in the first three months of 2021 (April-June), where it focuses on issues such as democracy and the deprivation of freedom of expression and the right to life. For a PDF version of [ Read more ]

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), our member from Bangladesh, organised a dissemination workshop on draft ADR Rules under the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013 on June 23, 2021 at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka. In this workshop, RMMRU had disseminated a developed draft ADR Rules to ensure access to justice for the vulnerable [ Read more ]

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), our member from Bangladesh, prepared his Mid-Term Assessement by Stakeholders: Progress on Implementation of Child Focused UPR Recommendations (September 2018 – December 2020), which was published on 10 June 2021. “The UPR is a human rights mechanism by United Nation under which the human rights situation of every UN member [ Read more ]

For Immediate Release Bangladesh: Hold Security Forces Accountable for Torture Rights Groups Call for Decisive Action on International Day for Victims (New York, June 26, 2021) – The Bangladesh government has failed to address widespread allegations of torture and ill-treatment by its security forces, ten rights groups said on the International Day in Support of [ Read more ]