ASM Nasiruddin Elan is the Director of Odhikar, a human rights organisation founded in 1994 with the aim of spreading awareness of human rights. In the wake of Odhikar’s 2013 publication of a fact-finding report that brought to light extrajudicial killings during a protest, ASM Nasiruddin Elan was held in arbitrary detention along with Adilur Rahman. In June 2022, the Government’s NGO Affairs Bureau denied Odhikar’s application for renewal, citing that the organization’s publications had “seriously tarnished the state’s image on the international stage.” On 14 September 2023, the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal sentenced A.S.M Nasiruddin Elan and Adilur Rahman to two years in prison with a fine of 10,000 Bangladeshi Taka.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Bangladesh endure judicial harassment, arbitrary arrest, fabricated charges, abduction, physical attacks, torture and extrajudicial killings. Human rights violations against HRDs are committed by both state and non-state actors including corporations, impunity remains one of the most serious issues of concern, particularly as fatal attacks on human rights defenders and journalsits become increasingly common.
