Accord Hasina full civil right, remove ban on movement

FE Team | Published: July 10, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

US Congressman Corrine Brown has urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to impress upon Bangladesh caretaker government to immediately accord Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina full civil rights, remove restriction on her freedom of movement and restore due process for all Bangladeshi citizens, reports UNB.
In a letter to Rice on June 29 he observed that freedom of movement and due process are human and civil rights essential to any democracy. "The recent actions taken by the government raised serious questions about respect for the rule of law and the future of representative democracy in Bangladesh," he said.
Brown, elected from 3D district, Florida, noted that Hasina's daughter lives in Florida and is expecting to give birth to a new grandchild of the AL chief in the next few weeks.
The US lawmaker mentioned that immediately upon the announcement of Sheikh Hasina's travel plan additional allegations for extortion, dating back to six and ten years, were filed against her on June 13. And with the charges "a ban was placed on her from travelling abroad".
Sheikh Hasina similarly has denied the allegations as 'false and fabricated' and objected to this bar on her ability to travel outside the country. "She is now essentially under house arrest with restrictions on where she may travel even within Bangladesh, and limits have been placed on the number of individuals allowed in or out of her house," the Congressman lamented.
He also mentioned previous ban on Sheikh Hasina's return from abroad and the filing of cases against her. The government, he said, had to reverse its decision on May 7 and allowed Hasina to return to Bangladesh in the wake of "strong condemnation" from the international community.
Brown also expressed his deep concern over recent developments in Bangladesh, including the abrogation of civil liberty and "abuse of human rights" under the "current military-backed caretaker government".
"While I recognize that Bangladesh is trying to address endemic corruption, the blatant disregard for due process and basic freedom is an unacceptable deviation from democratic norms and rule of law," he said.
The US lawmaker said he is extremely troubled by the "mass arrest of over 200,000 people", including detainment of 170 senior political leaders, along with "extra-judicial killings and torture".
He also cited searches and seizure without warrant by joint forces, the confiscation of assets "without court order", the elimination of right to bail, and numerous individuals being charged with anti-state activities in lieu of specified allegations based on probable cause.