The United States (US) has said the High Court verdict against Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan might discourage human rights defenders while the new legislation of the Cyber Security Act (CSA) continues to criminalise freedom of expression.

Expressing concern over the imprisonment of the Odhikar leaders, the US said in a statement on Thursday (14 September), "Today's judgement against Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan may further undermine the willingness of human rights defenders and civil society to play their vital democratic role."

In a separate statement regarding the Cyber Security Bill 2023 – passed in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday- the US said, "The new legislation continues to criminalise freedom of expression, retains non-bailable offences, and too easily could be misused to arrest, detain, and silence critics."

"We regret that the government of Bangladesh did not give stakeholders adequate opportunity to review and provide input to the new law to ensure it meets international standards. 

"Unfortunately, the CSA retains many aspects of its predecessor, the Digital Security Act [DSA]," the statement reads.  

On the judgement against Odhikar officials, the statement said, "The United States strongly supports the role that human rights defenders and civil society organisations play in promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.

It also referred to the US' 2022 Country Report on Human Rights in Bangladesh highlighting "significant limitations on freedom of expression both online and offline" and noting that human rights groups "operated with significant government restrictions." 

For decades, Odhikar has monitored and reported the human rights situation in Bangladesh, regardless of who was in power, it said, adding, "We continue to support freedom of expression and a vibrant civil society as essential elements of democracy and oppose attempts to limit the exercise of those fundamental and basic rights."