Bangladeshi human rights defenders (HRDs) face criminalization with far-reaching consequences as a result of the broad and politically-motivated use of the Digital Security Act (DSA) since it came into force in 2018, Front Line Defenders has said in a new report.
“Already facing physical attacks, including killings, HRDs in the country now find that their posts on social media, artistic productions and general speech can put them in legal jeopardy, and targeted by not only the authorities, but other political and social forces through a simple complaint to the police,” said the Ireland-based international rights body in a media statement issued recently.
In a new report, “Digital Security Act: A Hanging Sword on Human Rights Defenders in Bangladesh”, the Front Line Defenders documented cases of eight HRDs charged under the DSA, and how they suffered numerous violations of due process, economic difficulties as a result of lost income and jobs, and social stigmatization and harassment.
In addition to the HRDs, their family members also suffered in various ways, while they were all forced to significantly curtail their human rights work, says the report.
Andrew Anderson, executive director of Front Line Defenders, said: “Human rights defenders in Bangladesh face a myriad of challenges, threats and attacks in carrying out their work to protect the rights of the communities. The government repeatedly has failed to provide for the protection of HRDs.
“The way the Digital Security Act has been abused to criminalize speech and to shut down the work of HRDs must stop and the government should move quickly to repeal the provisions of the law that are clearly abused.”
“The government has made repeated public assurances that neither the ICT Act nor DSA would be misused. However, as the evidence in this report clearly shows, the draconian legislation is used by the government and security forces to punish HRDs exercising their freedom of expression, and to impede activists working against corruption, organizing for workers’ rights, students’ rights and environmental protection,” said the media statement.
Front Line Defenders called on the government of Bangladesh to suspend the DSA immediately, pending a thorough, transparent and independent review of the use and misuse of the legislation.
Furthermore, the government should bring this Act and all other laws related to speech in line with its obligations under international law and agreements, it added.
Founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk (HRDs), people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Front Line Defenders addresses the protection needs identified by HRDs themselves.
Front Line Defenders maintains its headquarters in Dublin, an EU Office in Brussels, and regionally-based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and the Middle East.
