Odhikar wins Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award

Odhikar, a Bangladeshi human rights group, has been awarded the prestigious  Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award (ADHRA) this year for its decades long civil and political rights advocacy in the South Asian nation. Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), founder of the ADHRA announced this on Wednesday.

TDF picked Odhikar for the award in recognition to its ‘civil and political rights advocacy’ in Bangladesh for three decades, despite challenges such as harassment, imprisonment, and surveillance," a TFD press release said. “It is hoped that the award will encourage their work and those in the same field, so they realize their efforts and perseverance have not gone unnoticed," said the TFD, a non-profit organization funded by Taiwan's government.

Since its foundation in 1994, Odhikar has been playing a very active role in deepening democracy and human rights in Bangladesh through research, advocacy and training, as well as government oversight efforts, the foundation said. Odhikar, was founded by human rights activist Adilur Rahman Khan, who is currently serving as the group's secretary.

According to its website, Odhikar's principal objectives include raising awareness of human rights and its various abuses, and promoting a vibrant democratic system through election monitoring in Bangladesh. Odhikar has been issuing its annual reports since 1996 that documented human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, involuntary disappearances and other violations, the TFD said.

The TFD also highlighted Odhikar's role in urging the Bangladesh government to ratify the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court in 2010, which subsequently led the country to contribute to investigations into the persecution of the Rohingya people. The Rohingyas, a minority ethnic group of Myanmar is subjected to extreme violence and deadly persecution carried out by the Burmese military since 2017, causing their exodus and take refuge into Bangladesh.

TFD's award ceremony will be held in Taipei on December. 10, the foundation said, adding that the award winner would receive a trophy and a grant of US$100,000. Established in 2003 and currently chaired by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, the TFD is dedicated to promoting democracy around the world and strengthening Taiwan's links with other democratic nations.