Human rights activists sentenced in Bangladesh ahead of elections

Two well-known activists of human rights in Bangladesh have been sentenced to two years in prison by a Bangladeshi court for their 2013 report in which they documented killings by security forces.

Law enforcement contends that the report had a negative impact on Bangladesh’s reputation. Critics, however, argue that this move is part of a broader crackdown on opposition leading up to the upcoming elections.

Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan, who are associated with the human rights organization Odhikar, have consistently denied accusations dating back a decade that they published a report containing false information.

After a ten-year legal process, the pair was found guilty in Dhaka on Thursday. Numerous international human rights organizations have called for their immediate release, claiming that the two men were not given a fair trial.

Both activists have spent many years compiling evidence of alleged extrajudicial killings, disappearances of opposition members, and instances of police brutality in Bangladesh.

The charges against them are related to a 2013 Odhikar report about a protest staged by an Islamist group seeking to impose a stricter interpretation of religion in Bangladeshi society. The report detailed that security forces had killed at least 61 individuals, including children, during an overnight operation in Dhaka to disperse the protesters.

Khan and Elan were arrested shortly after the report’s release but were later released on bail. The charges were resurrected by prosecutors only recently.

Prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim told the AFP news agency, “They were sentenced to two years in jail for publishing and circulating false information, hurting religious sentiments and undermining the image of the state.”

Human Rights Watch has pointed out that legal action against them did not progress until 2021, following US sanctions against Bangladesh’s elite paramilitary force for their alleged involvement in numerous enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings since 2009.

Just last week, the United Nations highlighted that both men had faced harassment and intimidation while out on bail.

Rights groups have insisted on the immediate release of the two men, citing “due process violations” during their trial, including the failure to provide the defense with crucial information until one day before the hearing.

A statement signed by 39 international rights groups mentioned, “In addition to targeting Odhikar’s leaders, the Government interfered with the organization’s ability to conduct its human rights work by blocking their access to funds and leaving its registration renewal application pending since 2014.”

Since taking office in 2009, Sheikh Hasina’s government has been accused of targeting activists and political opponents, a charge she denies. Last year, the government revoked Odhikar’s operating license, accusing the organization of tarnishing the country’s reputation.

Under Khan’s and Elan’s leadership, Odhikar had collaborated closely with the United Nations and international human rights groups. Their reports were also cited in the US State Department’s country reports.

This sentencing of the activists comes just four months before Bangladesh’s next general election and at a time when there are increasing demands for ensuring free and fair polls.

(With inputs from agencies)