Bangladesh Arrests Labor Rights Activist

By Kristy Tridhavee
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

DHAKA, Bangladesh – On January 24^th, Bangladesh authorities arrested Mehedi Hasan, a field investigator for the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), for instigating protests against emergency rules.

On January 15^th, rioters ransacked more than a dozen garment factories. Rioters protested their lack of unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions. In order to break up the riots, Bangladesh police shot tear gas into the crowds. During the riots, over one hundred persons were injured, factories were damaged, and vehicles were vandalized. The garment factories involved in the riots resumed operation on January 16^th.

Authorities arrested Mehedi Hasan at the Zia International Airport before he boarded a plane to Bangkok. According to an unnamed official, Mehedi Hasan was taken to court on Sunday. Authorities will detain and question him for up to four days. In addition to Mehedi Hasan, authorities have arrested ten other labor leaders. Authorities identified the relevant persons after watching video of the riots taken by television stations.

Mehedi Hasan’s employer, WRC, is an independent monitoring group. It investigates working conditions at factories that make goods for the United  States. It specifically investigates factories that make college and university apparel. WRC’s Executive Director Scott Nova protested the arrest in a statement, “There is no legitimate reason for Mehedi Hasan's arrest and we call upon the government of Bangladesh to effect his immediate and unconditional release. We are deeply concerned for his safety.”

Other groups have joined the WRC in protesting the arrest. Labor Behind the Label (LBL) and the War on Want (WW) have also called for the Mehedi Hasan’s release. LBL has written letters to all British fashion brands, asking them to make formal inquiries about the arrest. In the letter LBL writes, “It is clear that Mr. Hasan's arrest is related to the labour rights monitoring work he has performed on the WRC's behalf. Labour rights advocates in Bangladesh are very concerned that the security forces will physically mistreat Mr. Hasan...All of these charges are false to the point of absurdity.” WW’s John Hilary, campaign and policy director, said, “It is unacceptable that researchers should be locked up for defending workers' rights. We call for the immediate release of Mr. Hasan and for the rights of all trade unionists to be respected.”

Bangladesh is currently under emergency rule. A military-back interim government runs the Bangladesh government. Civil rights have remained suspended while security forces operate under the emergency rule.

For more information, please see:

AP - Police Arrest Bangladesh Rights Activist – 29 January 2008

Independent Bangladesh – Cases Files Against RMG Workers, Leaders – 18 January 2008

War on Want - Bangladesh Government Cracks Down on Workers’ Rights Monitors – 28 January 2008