Interim govt urged to ensure freedom of expression and opinion

International rights organisations on Tuesday called upon the interim government to ensure protection of freedom of expression and opinion. They called upon the government to protect journalists, other media workers, civil society actors and human rights defenders from harassment, intimidation, and other violence from state and non-state groups, and facilitate their journalistic activities.

The organisations are: Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Fortify Rights, Front Line Defenders, Human Rights Watch, PEN America and Committee to Protect Journalists.

In a statement, they urged the Bangladeshi authorities to guarantee the right to freedom of expression, in light of recent arrests and incidents of violence and harassment against journalists and human rights defenders in Bangladesh.

Any subsequent legislation seeking to address online safety and data protection should maintain international standards and best practices and be drafted in a transparent manner with meaningful opportunities for consultation' the statement added.

They urged the government to ensure that any draft legislation being considered for adoption undergoes a thorough and transparent consultation process and complies with international human rights law and standards.

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