National plan of action needed to counter hate speech: ARTICLE 19

ARTICLE 19, the UK-based human rights organization with an emphasis on free speech, has urged the Bangladesh government to develop and implement a national plan of action to counter hate speech.

Kenya recently became the first country in the world to declare a national plan of action for the purpose.

ARTICLE 19 also sees the need to step up efforts of the Bangladesh government and other concerned stakeholders to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue and tolerance that counters hate speech.

The rights-based organization raised the issue on the eve of the UN's “International Day for Countering Hate Speech”, which will be marked for the first time on June 18.

Faruq Faisel, South Asia Regional Director of ARTICLE 19, said the exponential spread and proliferation of hate speech is becoming a deep concern in Bangladesh and around the world.

"Although hate speech is not a new phenomenon, the scale and impacts of hate speech have amplified due to the advent of new technologies and online communication. In Bangladesh, physical and verbal attacks against religious and ethnic minorities are on the rise due to the influence of hate speech, especially online,” said Faisel.

ARTICLE 19 called on the government and other concerned stakeholders to ensure that religions, beliefs and ethnicity are not used to violate human rights, and urges all, both the government and citizens to combat hate speech – which is a threat to human rights of the citizens of Bangladesh, reports UNB.