Odhikar’s Statement on the Occasion of its Founding Anniversary  Dhaka, 10 October 2022: Odhikar, an organisation of human rights defenders, was established on 10 October 1994. Odhikar expresses sincere gratitude to all human rights defenders and well-wishers, at home and abroad, who stood beside the Organisation in its struggle for the establishment of human rights for the last 28 years. It also thanks those who stood in solidarity with Odhikar as well as being vocal against the government’s persecution on it. The main objective of the establishment of Odhikar was to protest against all ..read more

প্রতিষ্ঠা বার্ষিকী উপলক্ষ্যে অধিকার এর বিবৃতি ঢাকা, ১০ অক্টোবর ২০২২: ১৯৯৪ সালের ১০ অক্টোবর মানবাধিকার কর্মীদের সংগঠন অধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়। অধিকার ২৮ বছরব্যাপী মানবাধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠার সংগ্রামে তার পাশে থাকা দেশী ও বিদেশী সমস্ত মানবাধিকার কর্মী এবং শুভানুধ্যায়ীদের প্রতি আন্তরিক কৃতজ্ঞতা প্রকাশ করছে। এছাড়া যাঁরা অধিকার এর সঙ্গে একাত্মতা প্রকাশ করার পাশাপাশি অধিকার এর ওপর সরকারের নিপীড়নের বিরুদ্ধে সোচ্চার থেকেছেন অধিকার তাঁদের প্রতি আন্তরিক ধন্যবাদ জ্ঞাপন করছে। অধিকার এর প্রতিষ্ঠার মূল লক্ষ্যই ছিল রাষ্ট্রের হাতে সংঘটিত সমস্ত মানবাধিকার লঙ্ঘনের বিরুদ্ধে প্রতিবাদ জানানো এবং রাষ্ট্রকে মানবাধিকার লঙ্ঘন ..read more

A Joint Statement by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, International Federation for Human Rights, Maayer Daak, and Odhikar on the occasion of International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2022 Manila/Paris/Dhaka, 29 August 2022: On the eve of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, AFAD, FIDH, Maayer Daak, and Odhikar pay tribute to victims and survivors of the heinous crime of enforced disappearance and stand in solidarity with the families of the disappeared. The Bangladeshi government has consistently denied all cases of enforced disappe ..read more

A Joint Statement by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, International Federation for Human Rights, Maayer Daak, Odhikar and the World Organisation Against Torture on the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2022 Manila/Dhaka/Geneva/Paris, 25 June 2022: The government of Bangladesh must end torture as well as other rampant human rights violations and stop persecuting human rights defenders and families who speak against abuses, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Ma ..read more

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 14 June 2022) — The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the arbitrary deregistration of Odhikar by the NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) of Bangladesh. Odhikar, a prominent human rights organisation in Bangladesh and a member of FORUM-ASIA, had applied for renewal[1] of its registration to the NGOAB in 2014, as mandated under the Foreign Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Rules-1978, which now has been repealed and replaced by a controversial law, the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Law 2016[2]. Due to the inaction of NGOA ..read more

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) are extremely alarmed by the decision of the government to arbitrarily revoke the registration of Odhikar, a leading human rights organisation in Bangladesh. This move is another blow to civil society and human rights defenders who have been facing systematic repression by the Sheikh Hasina regime. Odhikar was founded in 1994 by a group of human rights activists and the organisation’s work includes documentation of human rights violations and enforced disappearances allegedly conducted by the Rapid A ..read more

Delivered by Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani Location Geneva We are concerned by the Government of Bangladesh’s decision not to approve the renewal of registration for Odhikar, a prominent and respected human rights organisation in the country. The decision follows repeated accusations by the authorities against Odhikar for “spreading propaganda” and “publishing misleading information” about extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. We urge the Government to immediately reconsider this decision, and to ensure that Odhikar has the ab ..read more

Deregistration of Bangladeshi organization Odhikar is part of pattern of curbs on rights groups June 9, 2022 Statement Bangladeshi authorities should immediately reverse their decision to deregister prominent human rights organization, Odhikar, eleven organizations said today. Human rights defenders should be allowed to conduct their work without fear of reprisals, intimidation, and harassment from the authorities. On June 5, 2022, Bangladesh’s Non-Governmental Organization Affairs Bureau sent a letter to Odhikar, denying the group’s application for renewal of registration. The letter said th ..read more

Join the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances in condemning the arbitrary cancellation of Odhikar’s registration by the Bangladesh Government. Odhikar and other human rights organizations in Asia should be allowed to function independently and their freedom of association must be protected. The Bangladesh government must reconsider this decision and renew the registration of Odhikar. Report Published on 8 June 2022 at www.afad-online.org ..read more

Odhikar’s Statement on the Occasion of its Founding Anniversary  Dhaka, 10 October 2022: Odhikar, an organisation of human rights defenders, was established on 10 October 1994. Odhikar expresses sincere gratitude to all human rights defenders and well-wishers, at home and abroad, who stood beside the Organisation in its struggle for the establishment of human rights for the last 28 years. It also thanks those who stood in solidarity with Odhikar as well as being vocal against the government’s persecution on it. The main objective of the establishment of Odhikar was to protest against all ..read more