The US Embassy in Bangladesh has issued a statement in response to the judgement against Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin of the human rights organization Odhikar.
The statement said that the United States strongly supports the role that human rights defenders and civil society organizations play in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“Our 2022 Country Report on Human Rights in Bangladesh highlights ‘significant limitations on freedom of expression both online and offline’ and notes that human rights groups ‘operated with significant government restriction’. In this context, the United States Embassy in Dhaka expresses concern that today’s judgement against Odhikar’s Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan may further undermine the willingness of human rights defenders and civil society to play their vital democratic role,” the statement adds.
The US Embassy in Bangladesh further added that for decades, Odhikar has monitored and reported the human rights situation in Bangladesh, regardless of who was in power.
“We continue to support freedom of expression and a vibrant civil society as essential elements of democracy and oppose attempts to limit the exercise of those fundamental and basic rights, read the statement,” it said.
A Dhaka court sentenced Adilur Rahman Khan, the secretary of Odhikar, to two years in prison on Thursday.
He was convicted of disseminating false information regarding an operation against Hefazat-e-Islam members at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka a decade ago.
ASM Nasiruddin, the director of Odhikar, also received a two-year prison sentence in the same case and both were fined Tk10,000 each.