Live Correspondent: Expressing grave concern about the death in custody, thirteen heads of diplomatic missions in Dhaka called for the Government of Bangladesh to conduct a swift, transparent, and independent inquiry into the full circumstances of Mushtaq Ahmed’s death.

In a joint statement, the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the member countries of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), said Mushtaq Ahmed had been held in pre-trial detention since May 5, 2020 under the provisions of the Digital Security Act (DSA).

“We understand that he had been denied bail on several occasions and that concerns had been raised about his treatment while he was imprisoned,” reads the statement. They expressed their sincere condolences to his family and friends.

The heads of mission said “We will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh on our Governments’ wider concerns about the provisions and implementation of the DSA, as well as questions about its compatibility with Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights laws and standards.”

The signatories of the statement are : High Commissioner of Canada Benoit Préfontaine, Ambassador of Denmark Winnie Estrup Petersen, Ambassador of the EU Rensje Teerink, Ambassador of France Jean-Marin Schuh, Ambassador of Germany Peter Fahrenholtz, Ambassador of Italy Enrico Nunziata, Ambassador of the Netherlands Harry Verweij,

Ambassador of Norway Espen Rikter-Svendsen, Ambassador of Spain Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas, Ambassador of Sweden Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Switzerland Nathalie Chuard, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom Robert Chatterton Dickson and Ambassador of the United States of America Earl R. Miller.

Dhaka, 26 February (campuslive24.com)//BSC