<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A vibrant civil society is essential to the prosperity of every nation, according to a joint Franco-German statement.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">France and Germany are "deeply attached to respect for the rule of law as well as to the democratic acquis in Bangladesh,” it said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They will continue to support defenders of human rights in Bangladesh, like throughout the world, reads the joint statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We regret the Bangladeshi court's decision regarding Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan," said the statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We have expressed our concern to the authorities on this situation and will maintain our dialogue with them on this case," the joint statement said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two countries recalled that Adilur Rahman Khan, on behalf of the human rights organization Odhikar, was the 2017 recipient of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>