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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Elections & Politics

Bangladesh passes enforced disappearance and NHRC bills after opposition walkout

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Approved/passed
  • Bangladesh’s parliament passed bills on preventing enforced disappearances and restructuring the National Human Rights Commission after opposition MPs walked out.
  • Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said the bills were weaker than the interim government’s ordinances.
  • The new NHRC bill gives a Speaker-led committee responsibility for recommending commissioners and removes the commission’s authority to investigate enforced disappearance allegations.

Bangladesh’s parliament passed two human rights bills after opposition MPs walked out, accusing the government of weakening provisions drafted under the interim administration.

The House approved the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Bill, 2026, and the National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026, by voice vote. Opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman said the laws had been brought back in weaker form after the earlier ordinances lapsed. “Since we had already decided that these laws were being brought back in weaker form after lapsing, we will not be part of passing this law…and we are now walking out,” he said.

The opposition left before the bills were introduced and later boycotted discussions in the relevant parliamentary standing committees. MPs also briefly walked out during consideration of a separate property bill, wearing black cloths over their mouths before returning to the chamber.

Since we had already decided that these laws were being brought back in weaker form after lapsing, we will not be part of passing this law…and we are now walking out.

· Shafiqur RahmanThe opposition leader explained the decision to leave parliament before the bills were introduced.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said the NHRC legislation had been strengthened. “In fact, it is far stronger than that of any country in this subcontinent,” he said. The bill creates a commission with a chairperson and four commissioners, including at least one woman and one member from an ethnic minority or disadvantaged community. A selection committee chaired by the Speaker would recommend the appointments.

That structure differs from the interim government’s ordinance, which placed an Appellate Division judge nominated by the Chief Justice at the head of the selection committee and included fewer political representatives. The ordinance also authorized the NHRC to investigate allegations of enforced disappearance. The new bill assigns such investigations to a designated investigation officer, usually a sub-inspector. It says a law enforcement agency cannot investigate a complaint against itself or one of its members.

In fact, it is far stronger than that of any country in this subcontinent.

· Md AsaduzzamanThe law minister defended the National Human Rights Commission bill.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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