CAT/C/BGD/CO/1 against him in connection with his work. It regrets that the delegation did not indicate whether allegations that he was subjected to torture in remand detention have been investigated, as required by the Convention. 30. The Committee acknowledges with appreciation the statement made during the constructive dialogue by the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs who headed the State party delegation, that the Government wishes to make it “emphatically clear” that it will protect from reprisals members of civil society and NGOs who have cooperated with the Committee in the context of its consideration of the State party’s initial report (arts. 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16). 31. The State party should: (a) Communicate at the highest level that civil society activists, lawyers and journalists who publicize information or allegations concerning human rights violations play a vital role in society and should not be subjected to retaliatory charges of contempt of court, defamation or sedition for criticizing government leaders or their performance; (b) Investigate all allegations of unlawful or arbitrary arrest, harassment, torture, ill-treatment or violence against human rights defenders, including civil society actors, lawyers and journalists; (c) Amend the legislation, including the Information Communication and Technology Act of 2006, the Digital Security Act of 2018, and the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act of 2016 to eliminate provisions prohibiting derogatory remarks being made about the Constitution and constitutional bodies, engaging in “anti-State activities”, “tarnishing the image of the nation” and similar provisions that have provided a basis for arresting and prosecuting individuals who have publicized allegations of torture, disappearance, extrajudicial killings or illtreatment, or criticized the State party’s response to such allegations; (d) Ensure that members of civil society and NGOs who have cooperated with the Committee in the context of its consideration of the State party’s initial report are protected from any reprisals or harassment, including charges of breaching the Information and Communications Technology Act, in keeping with the pledge given by the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Conditions of detention 32. The Committee is seriously concerned: (a) At reports that prison conditions in the State party are substantially below international standards and have even been described as constituting ill-treatment, or torture in extreme cases; (b) At the severe overcrowding in prisons, amounting to over 200 per cent occupancy and even more during election periods, in prisons designed to hold 40,000 inmates, resulting to a large extent from the extensive use of detention on remand, which forces prisoners to sleep in shifts, has made even the prison authorities consider establishing makeshift sheds within the jails and has resulted in the holding of some 100 inmates in an abandoned warehouse in January 2019; (c) About the very poor conditions of detention, which reportedly resulted in 74 deaths in 2018, as well as inadequate sanitary conditions, scarcity of food and drinking water, insufficient toilet and bathroom facilities and beds, inadequate light and ventilation, and the lack of recreational activities and mental stimulation; (d) About the corruption in the prisons, including the extortion of inmates and their relatives by prison guards so that they can enjoy elementary services, the “mate” system whereby the more senior prisoners control others, including their access to food and conditions of imprisonment, and often mete out punishments on behalf of the prison authorities, and the fact that prisoners face reprisals as soon as they complain; 10