The NGO Affairs Bureau of the Prime Minister's Office has cancelled the registration of Odhikar, a volunteer Non-Government Organisation, for tarnishing the image of the country with false and fabricated information, financial irregularities and non-cooperation with information.
The rights organisation applied for 10 years extension of its registration to the NGO Bureau after its registration had expired in 2015.
But, the NGO Bureau rejected the appeal on Sunday (5 June).
In an order issued Sunday, the NGO Bureau said the registration of "Odhikar" has been cancelled for various reasons including engaging in activities that tarnish the image of the country in the international arena.
The reasons for the cancellation of registration include - not providing information required for registration and non-payment of increased fees and VAT imposed under the new law, no response or explanation for objections to eight financial audit reports of foreign-funded projects, creating anti-state issues on its website (odhikar.org), and not responding appropriately to intelligence report on inconsistencies in financial transactions in three projects.
Earlier in 2013, Odhikar Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan was arrested in connection with publishing a report on casualties during a crackdown on a Hefajat-e-Islam rally on 5 May the same year.
According to the NGO Bureau, information which Odhikar presented on its own website about the alleged extrajudicial killings, including alleged disappearances and murders, has tarnished the image of Bangladesh abroad. The NGO bureau asked for the person's name and full address to verify the information. However, the company did not disclose the cause of the case.
