Thirty-seven eminent citizens of the country have demanded the withdrawal of decision to deregister the human rights organization Odhikar.
In a statement on Sunday, they said that the human rights organization Odhikar has been conducting their information collection, research and advocacy activities for many years to uphold the rule of law and protect human rights in Bangladesh.
“We believe that the above mentioned activities are important, especially in cases of forced disappearance, extrajudicial killings and torture allegations, these violate the constitutional rights of the citizens. The works are important for the victims, their relatives and all the citizens of the country,” said the statement.
The eminent citizens said they are concerned that the NGO Affairs Bureau has recently decided not to renew the registration of Odhikar.
“While the government is being criticized at home and abroad for various incidents of extreme human rights violations, this decision would send a harmful message of the country, increase public panic over forced disappearances, killings and tortures,” read the statement.
The decision would be a signal of new threat to the country’s others human rights organizations, it added.
“We think that the decision of the NGO Affairs Bureau is paramount to contempt of the judiciary and contrary to the right provided by the constitution while a case over the registration is pending in the High Court.”
The statement said, “We strongly condemn the decision of the NGO Affairs Bureau and urge the immediate withdrawal of the decision not to renew the registration of Odhikar.”
The eminent citizens include -- former advisors to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Gonoshasthya Kendra’s Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, human rights activist Hameeda Hossain, Professor Anu Muhammad, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Sara Hossain, Dr. Faustina Pereira, Dr. Samina Luthfa, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Professor Tasnim Siddiqi, Supreme Court lawyers Shahdeen Malik, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, Subrata Chowdhury, Tabarak Husain, Professor Swapan Adnan, Robaet Ferdous, Dr. Shahnaz Huda, Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Researcher Bina D'Costa, Photographer Shahidul Alam, Human Rights Activist Shireen Huq, Nur Khan Liton, Arup Rahi, Rehnuma Ahmed, Rezaur Rahman Lelin, Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed, Hana Shams Ahmed, Ijazul Islam, Professor Perween Hasan, researcher Saydia Gulrukh, Rozina Begum, Nasrin Khandaker, Professor Maidul Islam and Sanjida Islam.
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