Don’t throw piercing look at Bangladesh people, he asks foreign orgs
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Tuesday accused human rights organisation Odhikar of being busy protecting the interests of Jamaat-e-Islam, Hefajat-e-Islam and extremists.
“In recent times, it’s not the agenda of Odhikar to protect the rights of people rather its main agenda is to protect the interests of Jamaat, Hefajat and extremists,” he said.
He came up with the allegation against the rights watchdog while talking to reporters on Mirpur upazila parishad premises.
Criticising Odhikar for what he said its biased role, Inu said it is not comprehensible to him how the organisation and person can protect the human rights and democracy that have links with BNP-Jamaat and Hefajat.
Earlier, on Saturday night, plainclothes police arrested Odhikar secretary general Adilur Rahman Khan on charge of violating the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act.
Apparently referring to his arrest, the minister said, “Bangladesh is an independent country. No one is above the law here. It’s not violation of the human rights if action is taken against any one for violating the law.”
Inu called upon the foreigners not to judge Bangladesh with the eyes of Odhikar. “Come to Bangladesh and see how despicable role Hefajat and Jamaat are playing against human rights and women.”
The minister also asked the foreign-funded organisations to work in Bangladesh abiding by the laws and rules of the country. “Don’t throw a piercing look at the people of Bangladesh and don’t talk at the top of your voce.”
He also criticised the main opposition BNP for what he said their efforts to save the war criminals. “They (BNP) are threatening not to go to polls, but their main agenda is to save Jamaat, Hefajat and prevent the execution of death sentences awarded to war criminals.”
Source: UNB Connect
It is reported by some Bangladeshi media that Bangladeshi ruling party leader Mr Lenin, the Information Minister Mr Enu and Deputy Law minister Qamrul Islam told a meeting of the 14 party ruing alliance in the capital, “Adilur Rahman Khan , a supporter of the Hefajat-e-Islam has committed a crime of sedition and would be dealt with accordingly by the judiciary that is independent. Outsiders have no reason or rights whatsoever to interfere in our purely internal matter. UNO was pressurized by a powerful country to poke its nose in our internal matter. May we ask what has been happening in Guantanama? ” Home minister said, “ Country’s law
would would take its course, We are not bothered who says what about our internal matter”.
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Bangladesh: UN urges immediate release of detained human rights defender
13 August 2013. http://www.MNA.com/www.bangladeshsun.com/ – The United Nations today voiced concern about the recent arrest of a prominent human rights defender in Bangladesh and urged the Government to secure his immediate release. Adilur Rahman Khan, the director of Odhikar, a well-known human rights organization in the country, was arrested at his home in the capital, Dhaka, on 10 August by plainclothes officers reportedly acting without a warrant, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “We are calling on the Government of Bangladesh to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Khan, whose arrest might be linked to his work as human rights defender,” OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva.
She said Mr. Khan is reported to have been arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, accused of publishing false information about violence by Government forces during demonstrations in May by the Islamist movement, Hefazat-e-Islami. Odhikar reported that 61 people had died during these protests, challenging the Government’s version of events, noted Ms. Throssell. She said that the day after his arrest, Mr. Khan was denied bail and ordered to be held on remand for five days. “He was allegedly denied access to a lawyer before his court hearing,” she added.