H. Res. 64

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

March 13, 2007.

Whereas Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is a Bangladeshi 

journalist who, because of his beliefs in an interfaith dialogue between Jews and Muslims and criticism of Islamic 

extremism, is on trial for sedition, an offense punishable 

by death; 

Whereas on November 29, 2003, Mr. Choudhury was arrested at Zia International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on his way to board a flight bound for Tel Aviv; 

Mr. Choudhury’s passport was seized, along with considerable sums of money and several personal items; on that 

same day police raided Mr. Choudhury’s home and newspaper offices, seizing files, computers, and other 

valuables; 

Whereas Mr. Choudhury was detained in Dhaka Central Jail 

for a passport violation, then subsequently charged with 

sedition; Mr. Choudhury suffered harsh interrogation 

techniques and received no treatment for a debilitating 

case of glaucoma; Mr. Choudhury’s incarceration lasted 

17 months without legal recourse; 

Whereas on April 30, 2005, after intervention by the United 

States Department of State and congressional offices, 

Mr. Choudhury was released on bail; 
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•HRES 64 EH 

Whereas in the subsequent months, senior members of the 

Bangladeshi Government made continuous public promises that there was no substance to Mr. Choudhury’s 

pending charges and that all charges would be dropped; 

Whereas on September 29, 2005, Mr. Choudhury was awarded the ‘‘Freedom to Write Award’’ by PEN USA; 

Whereas on May 5, 2006, Mr. Choudhury was awarded the 

American Jewish Committee’s Moral Courage Award in 

absentia in Washington, D.C.; two days prior to Mr. 

Choudhury receiving the award, after returning Mr. 

Choudhury’s passport and appearing to allow him to attend, senior Bangladeshi Government officials issued 

threats to prevent him from leaving the country; 

Whereas on September 18, 2006, a judge with alleged ties to 

an Islamic extremist party ruled that Mr. Choudhury will 

stand trial for sedition; the judge made this ruling despite the Public Prosecutor’s testimony in court days before that the government did not have evidence and 

would not object to the charges being dropped; 

Whereas members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom visited with Mr. Choudhury 

on their trip to Bangladesh in February and March 

2006; 

Whereas on October 6, 2006, the United States Commission 

on International Religious Freedom wrote a letter to U.S. 

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian 

Affairs Richard A. Boucher calling on the United States 

Government to strengthen the ‘‘voices of moderation’’ in 

countries like Bangladesh where the rule of law, democratic institutions, and respect for human rights are 

under assault by violent extremists; the Commission iden-
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tified Mr. Choudhury as one of those voices that should 

not be silenced; 

Whereas, according to the Department of State’s 2005 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Bangladesh, 

‘‘Attacks on journalists and newspapers, and government 

efforts to intimidate them, political party activists, and 

others, occurred frequently.’’; and 

Whereas moderate voices in the Muslim world must be supported and protected to advance the security of the 

United States and its allies: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that—

(1) the Government of Bangladesh should immediately drop all pending charges against Bangladeshi 

journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury; 

(2) the Government of Bangladesh should immediately return all of Mr. Choudhury’s confiscated possessions; and 

(3) the Government of Bangladesh should cease 

harassment and intimidation of Mr. Choudhury and take 

steps to protect Mr. Choudhury. 

Attest:

Clerk.