UN voices concern over action against Odhikar

The UN human rights body has called on the government of Bangladesh to foster an enabling environment for civil society to undertake their work without fear of reprisals, particularly in the lead up to the next elections, reports UNB.

"Civil society actors must not be deterred from cooperating with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms," said spokesperson for the UN high commissioner for human rights Ravina Shamdasani on Friday in Geneva, noting that Bangladesh has the tradition of a strong and diverse civil society.

Restrictions to the right of freedom of association which do not respect the principles of necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination contravene international law, she said.

Shamdasani said they are "concerned" by the government of Bangladesh's decision not to approve the renewal of registration for Odhikar.

Bangladesh authorities, however, see Odhikar as a "controversial" human rights organisation in the country which was criticised for spreading misinformation.

There are allegations against Odhikar for "spreading propaganda" and "publishing misleading information" on rights issues, they say.

Shamdasani said, "We urge the government to immediately reconsider this decision, and to ensure that Odhikar has the ability to seek full judicial review of any such determination."

She said they are further concerned that this decision will have a "chilling effect" on the ability of civil society organisations to report serious human rights violations to UN human rights mechanisms.

Odhikar's application for renewal of its registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau has been pending since 2014.

In 2014, Odhikar's bank account was also frozen.