The Bangladesh parliament should repeal a new law regulating civil society organizations accepting foreign funds, said Human Rights Watch said.
The new law subjects non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to comprehensive and arbitrary government control over their activities, stifling freedom of expression and other rights. Bangladesh's international donors, who provide critical development assistance, should publicly call for the repeal of the law.
The law, known as the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Bill 2016 (FDRB), came into effect on Oct. 13. The law requires all foreign-funded NGOs, a category that describes development, human rights, and many other organizations, to submit virtually all activities for approval to a bureau under the prime minister's office, without clear criteria for grounds for rejection or a timeframe in which decisions should be rendered.
Registration is similarly at the discretion of the bureau, and a last-minute addition to the law makes it an offense for NGOs to criticize the government.
"The Foreign Donations Law is a shocking new initiative by a repressive government to make civil society toe the government line, or risk being arbitrarily shut down," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The government claims it is committed to freedom of expression and pluralism, but then passes a law that would make an authoritarian regime proud."