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Odhikar Report

Dhaka clarifies to Washington

Diplomatic Correspondent
Dhaka has claimed that Odhikar's report on "61 deaths" during the Dhaka blockade by Hefajat-e Islam is false and fabricated and has been projecting a biased and false impression on the country's overall rights situation.
In an aide memoire to the US government, Dhaka yesterday clarified its position and said the Odhikar report used Photoshop to put together fabricated and graphic photos of some dead bodies and people injured during the Hefajat violence at daytime.
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It then placed those photos on the cover of the report to support the unfounded claims of a large number of casualties during operation by the law-enforcement agencies to portray a distorted image of persecution of devout Muslims in the country, the aide memoire added.
The US State Department on Sunday asked the Bangladesh High Commission in Washington to explain the arrest and detention of Odhikar Secretary Advocate Adilur Rahman Khan.
The State Department also strongly urged the authorities to treat Adilur Rahman Khan according to Bangladesh law and maintain international standards.
Simultaneously, the US Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday also contacted the foreign ministry and asked for an explanation behind Adil's detention.
In response, the ministry yesterday sent a three-page official statement to the US State Department and the US Embassy describing the May 5 incident, Odhikar's report and the arrest of Adil.
While explaining its position, the government further said the Odhikar report failed to give any
specific information about the 61 reported dead or disposal of their bodies and propagated false and fabricated information that hurt the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim majority population.
The act of disseminating such false and fabricated information through the internet with an ulterior motive of creating religious violence amounted to committing the offences, it added.
It said the Odhikar report, however, remained altogether silent about the violence, attacks, arson, bombing and killings committed by the Hefajat leaders and activists that day.
The aide memoire said the government was committed to freedom of expression of the citizens as guaranteed in the country's constitution.
It added the government was also committed and looked forward to working together with the rights activists and organisations towards further improving the rights situation.
The government expressed the hope that all concerned would refrain from engaging in any activity that would amount to propagating false, fabricated and malicious contents over the
internet that may serve the extremists' violent agenda and prove to be a threat to public security and communal harmony in Bangladesh.
EU STATEMENT
The European Union delegation and the EU diplo-matic missions to Bangladesh in a statement expressed concern over the detention of Adilur Rahman. The statement urged the authorities to observe due process at all stages of the proceedings against him, in particular, ensure full respect for his rights.
"We are familiar with Adilur Rahman Khan and with Odhikar's reporting of human rights abuses in Bangladesh. We consider that a vibrant civil society and the work of human rights defenders have important roles to play in the strengthening of human rights in this country.
"We have conveyed our detailed concerns about the detention of Adilur Rahman Khan to the relevant authorities in Bangladesh. It is essential that no harm comes to him," the statement read.
The diplomatic missions of Norway and Switzerland in Bangladesh have associated themselves with the statement.