Dhaka: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said in its World Report 2016 that freedom of expression in Bangladesh came under severe attack in 2015.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina became increasingly authoritarian, with security forces arresting key opposition leaders and state authorities also refused to prosecute security forces for serious violations, including torture, killings, and enforced disappearances,reports The Daily Star.
HRW Executive Director Kenneth Roth said that the huge flow of refugees spawned by repression and conflict led many governments to curtail rights in misguided efforts to protect their security.
HRW added that the Hasina Government cracked down on media and civil society activists, launched contempt of court proceedings and prosecuted them under vague and overbroad laws.
HRW further said that terrible that when bloggers were murdered and the government could only preach was self censorship.
In the report, the Washington-based human rights body reviewed human rights practices in more than 90 countries.
