Create enabling environment for civil society organisations: ARTICLE 19

ARTICLE 19, the UK based international human rights organization, expresses deep concern over the authority’s recent suppressive decision regarding running of activities of a civil society organisation (CSO) Odhikar. This type of decision will have a chilling effect on other CSOs in Bangladesh and hamper normal activities of them. CSOs are the government's development partners. They work to advance human rights, including the right to development. The repression of independent civil society organizations, debate and critical views on issues such as human rights, democracy, rule of law, freedom of expression, and the right to protest must stop.

In a statement sent to the media today, Monday, Faruq Faisel, Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 South Asia said, civic space in Bangladesh is being squeezed on all sides and it’s getting worse. The situation is particularly unfavorable for the organizations and groups who work to address serious human rights violations. Human rights advocates, rights activists and civil society organisations often face public demonising from the government. It has become harder for them to support the protection, promotion and fulfillment of human rights in the country – due to both legal and authoritarian restrictions.

Right to protest, right to association and freedom of expression are constitutional rights guaranteed respectively under the articles 37, 38 and 39 of Bangladesh constitution. Arbitrary arrest, detention, threat, harassment of human rights activists, as well as legal, administrative and regulatory repression of civil society organisations, are clear violations of the commitments Bangladesh made by ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other international human rights standards. Government must ensure that any measures taken should be legitimate, proportionate, necessary and compatible with international human rights standards, he added.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) inter alia work to counterbalance the power of the state, oppose authoritarianism and ensure rule of law. CSOs work as watchdogs and help to promote good governance and accountability. Instead of addressing problems raised by the human rights activists and CSOs, sometimes, the government tries to persecute them.

ARTICLE 19 calls on the government to ensure an enabling regulatory and political environment free from chilling effects, threats and attacks for civil society organisations (CSOs).