HRD Didar Bhuiyan Charged
On 4 February 2021, police submitted the charge sheet against human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka. He is being charged for allegedly "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" through his online posts.
On the evening of 1 October 2020, after almost five months in detention, human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan was released on bail from the Dhaka Kashimpur jail.
On 14 September 2020, after more than four months of detention, human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan was granted bail by a High Court bench of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
On 9 August 2020, the Metropolitan session's court in Dhaka rejected Didar Bhuiyan's bail application.
On 5 May 2020, law enforcement officials picked up human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan from his office in Badda, Dhaka. They raided his office and seized several of his possessions. The following day, on 6 May 2020, the defender was transferred to the Ramna police station and on 7 May was transferred to Dhaka prison. He has been accused of "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" for allegedly posting anti-government content online.
Didar Bhuiyan is a human rights defender and a member of Rastrochinta, a platform that mobilises discussion on topics of political reform, rule of law and constitutional rights, among others. Didar Bhuiyan is an information technology professional and so is instrumental in Rashtrochinta’s social media campaigns and online discussion forums. He is also a core member of Rashtrochinta’s ‘Humanitarian assistance monitoring committee’, set-up to monitor the government’s humanitarian response to COVID-19. The human rights defender was an active member of a voluntary group called Partiban Chai (which translates to ‘We demand Change’) and in this capacity, had organised and participated in several activities calling for reforms of systems of oppression and corruption.
On 4 February 2021, police submitted the charge sheet against human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka. He is being charged for allegedly "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" through his online posts. Earlier, on 1 October 2020, he was released on bail after spending more than five months in detention after his arrest on 5 May 2020.
On the evening of 1 October 2020, after almost five months in detention, human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan was released on bail from the Dhaka Kashimpur jail. He was granted bail by a High Court bench of the Bangladesh Supreme Court on 14 September 2020. His release was delayed owing to minor errors in his bail document and slow bureaucratic procedures. The defender had been in judicial custody since his arrest on 5 May 2020, for allegedly "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" through his online posts. The date of his trial has yet to be announced.
On 14 September 2020, after more than four months of detention, human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan was granted bail by a High Court bench of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. He is due to be released in the coming days. The defender has been in judicial custody since his arrest on 5 May 2020, for allegedly "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" through his online posts.
On 9 August 2020, the Metropolitan session's court in Dhaka rejected Didar Bhuiyan's bail application. The defender is facing the charge of "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" under the Digital Security Act. This came after the rejection of his earlier bail application on 16 June 2020 by the Metropolitan magistrate court. The human rights defender has been in judicial custody since his arrest on 5 May 2020.
On 5 May 2020, law enforcement officials picked up human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan from his office in Badda, Dhaka. They raided his office and seized several of his possessions. The following day, on 6 May 2020, the defender was transferred to the Ramna police station and on 7 May was transferred to Dhaka prison. He has been accused of "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" for allegedly posting anti-government content online.
Didar Bhuiyan is a human rights defender and a member of Rastrochinta, a platform that mobilises discussion on topics of political reform, rule of law and constitutional rights, among others. Didar Bhuiyan is an information technology professional and so is instrumental in Rashtrochinta’s social media campaigns and online discussion forums. He is also a core member of Rashtrochinta’s ‘Humanitarian assistance monitoring committee’, set-up to monitor the government’s humanitarian response to COVID-19. The human rights defender was an active member of a voluntary group called Partiban Chai (which translates to ‘We demand Change’) and in this capacity, had organised and participated in several activities calling for reforms of systems of oppression and corruption.
On the evening of 5 May 2020, eight to nine plain clothed individuals claiming to be members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) 3, picked up Didar Bhuiyan, without a warrant of arrest, from his office in Badda. The human rights defender’s office was also raided and two of his computers, a laptop and mobile phone were seized. However, no list of seized items was prepared, nor were any signatures taken to keep account of the items. When the defender and his colleagues standing by asked the reason for the raid and why he was being detained, the individuals responded that he was being brought for interrogation regarding a crime committed by one of Didar Bhuyian’s ‘’friends’’.
Later the same day, when the defender’s family contacted RAB officials to inquire about his whereabouts, they were told that they had no information of the arrest and denied the allegation. However, on the evening of 6 May 2020, Didar Bhuiyan’s family was informed that he had been handed over to the Ramna police by the RAB 3 officials.
Didar Bhuiyan is a core member of the ‘Humanitarian assistance monitoring committee’ set up by Rastrochinta to monitor the government's humanitarian activities in response to COVID-19. On 30 March 2020, the committee published a report analysing government data, showing how the most marginalized groups and areas have received the least amount of government support. Didar Bhuiyan had shared the findings of this report on his social media account, however the content was later taken down by authorities.
Those critical of the government’s response to COVID-19 have been increasingly targeted with arrests and threats. Didar Bhuiyan, along with ten others, is being charged with "spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities" under the Digital Security Act of 2018, for allegedly posting anti-government content. All those named in the case have been critical about the government’s mismanagement in tackling the pandemic. At the time of writing, the Ramna police have taken three of the eleven accused into custody, including Didar Bhuiyan.
The Digital Security Act of 2018 has been increasingly invoked to suppress any form of online dissent or criticism of the government. The language of the Act is overly broad and vague and is being used to intimidate and arrest those critical of the government. The Act also allows for invasive forms of surveillance and imposes heavy fines and jail terms for legitimate forms of dissent. In addition to this, the Act includes penalties for many offences in it which are not entitled to bail.
Front Line Defenders is concerned about the arrest of human rights defender Didar Bhuiyan. It condemns the judicial harassment of the defender and those who are simply exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression. Front Line Defenders believes that the human rights defender is being targeted solely as a result of his peaceful work in defence of human rights.
