UN rights body raises concerns over 'harassment of Dr Yunus, Odhikar leaders'

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised concerns over the continued "intimidation and harassment" of Nobel Laureate Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus and two leaders of Odhikar, a human rights organisation, through legal proceedings in Bangladesh.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Bangladeshi authorities to create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders and other civil society representatives to carry out their essential work for the welfare and protection of all people in Bangladesh.

The UN body stated, "Yunus has faced harassment and intimidation for almost a decade. He currently faces two trials that carry potential prison sentences—one on charges of violating labour laws, the second for alleged corruption. While Yunus will have the opportunity to defend himself in court, we are concerned that smear campaigns against him, often emanating from the highest levels of government, risk undermining his right to a fair trial and due process in line with international standards."

It also referred to the cases brought against the leaders of Odhikar - Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin Elan - in which the verdicts are due to be delivered on Thursday (7 September).

"The criminal charges relate to a fact-finding report they compiled 10 years ago on extra-judicial killings. Both have faced harassment and intimidation, and their organization's license was not renewed," the statement continued.

It said, "The legal harassment of civil society leaders, human rights defenders, and other dissenting voices is a worrying sign for civic and democratic space in Bangladesh. These cases also represent an important test for the independence of the judiciary in Bangladesh."

The UN high commissioner urged the judicial authorities to ensure the most rigorous review in these cases to ensure that rights to due process and a fair trial are strictly and consistently applied.

The rights body said they are closely studying the new Cyber Security law, which has been presented to Parliament to replace the problematic Digital Security Act.

"The new law will replace imprisonment with fines and increase the scope for bail for several offences, but it is very important that Parliament address the remaining concerns to prevent any further arbitrary use of the law to suppress freedom of expression," it added.