Dhaka, March 14 Several European and global civil society organisations have called on Tarique Rahman, the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh, to secure the immediate release and proper medical care of imprisoned journalist, writer, freedom fighter, and human rights activist Shahriar Kabir.
In a joint press release issued earlier this week, the organisations warned that the health condition of 75-year-old Shahriar Kabir, currently in state custody, has severely deteriorated, reaching a 'critical' level.
The signatories included the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF) of Belgium, the European Bangladesh Forum (EU and UK), the Working Group Bangladesh of Germany, the Earth Civilisation Network, and the global platform Freedom and Justice Alliance.
“75-year-old freedom fighter Shahriar Kabir has been suffering from multiple diseases for a long time and uses a wheelchair for mobility. Since his arrest, his weight has decreased alarmingly and it has become difficult to stand. Despite repeated requests, he is not getting the necessary medicines and proper treatment. Even after being transferred from Dhaka Central Jail to Keraniganj, his condition has not improved,” Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo quoted from the joint statement.
According to local media reports, Kabir has been imprisoned since September 2024, following his arrest in connection with a murder case.
Expressing grave concern, the statement highlighted that former minister and Awami League leader Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun reportedly died in custody during the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, with more than one hundred prisoners having died during the same period.
"Shahriar Kabir's life is now in clear and imminent danger," the statement added.
The signatories urged the Government of Bangladesh to take three immediate actions: release Kabir and all elderly or vulnerable prisoners, provide urgent medical care to prisoners, and ensure that all prisons across the country uphold international human rights and humanitarian standards.
"Shahriar Kabir's life is not only a matter of justice - it is also a measure of our shared humanity. His protection and release would reaffirm Bangladesh's commitment to the spirit of 1971 and the rule of law," the organisations said
It further noted that global human rights organisations have already sounded an alarm on the issue, with the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention on January 5 terming Kabir’s detention as a serious breach of Bangladesh's international legal obligations, another leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had previously called Kabir's detention arbitrary, unlawful and punitive, urging his immediate release, adequate compensation and an independent probe. Yet, the former Yunus-led interim government did not act on these recommendations.
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