The undersigned Heads of Mission in Dhaka express our grave concern about the death in custody of Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed on 25 February 2021.
Mr. Ahmed had been held in pre-trial detention since 5 May 2020 under the provisions of the Digital Security Act (DSA). We understand that he had been denied bail on several occasions and that concerns had been raised about his treatment while he was imprisoned.
We express our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
We call on the Government of Bangladesh to conduct a swift, transparent, and independent inquiry into the full circumstances of Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed’s death.
We will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh on our Governments’ wider concerns about the provisions and implementation of the DSA, as well as questions about its compatibility with Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights laws and standards.
Signed:
High Commissioner of Canada, Mr. Benoit Préfontaine
Ambassador of Denmark, Mrs. Winnie Estrup Petersen
Ambassador of the EU, Mrs. Rensje Teerink
Ambassador of France, Mr. Jean-Marin Schuh
Ambassador of Germany, Mr. Peter Fahrenholtz
Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Enrico Nunziata
Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mr. Harry Verweij
Ambassador of Norway, Mr. Espen Rikter-Svendsen
Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas
Ambassador of Sweden, Mrs. Alexandra Berg von Linde
Ambassador of Switzerland, Mrs. Nathalie Chuard
High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, Mr. Robert Chatterton Dickson
Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr. Earl R. Miller
By U.S. Embassy Dhaka | 26 February, 2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases
