Bangladesh to Revamp Human Rights Commission with Historic Ordinance

The commission would meet long-held aspirations of Bangladeshi citizens, reinforcing the country's commitment to human rights, boosting public trust, and promoting democratic governance and justice, a report said on Thursday.

According to a report in Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, in the inaugural session of Bangladesh's newly elected parliament which began on Thursday, the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party government would present key ordinances promulgated during the period of former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, including the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Ordinance, 2025.

"With over 600 stakeholders contributing to consultations - including national experts, international voices such as the United Nations, and a wide spectrum of civil society - the drafting process of this ordinance has been unprecedented in its inclusivity. The breadth of engagement sends a strong signal that the weaknesses of the 2009 law needed to be addressed, and that an NHRC responding to the current demands in Bangladesh must have the authority and independence necessary to protect rights effectively," the report detailed.

"Consideration of the NHRC ordinance comes at a pivotal moment in the country's democratic transition and institutional renewal. The National Human Rights Commission is central to that renewal. The government and parliament now have the opportunity to empower the commission by endorsing the ordinance and ensuring consideration of key proposals raised by various stakeholders to guarantee its independence, credibility, and service to all people in Bangladesh," it mentioned.

The report noted that a robust NHRC, accountable primarily to the citizens, is far from a peripheral institution; it is central to democratic governance, the rule of law, and public trust. It can act as a crucial link between citizens and the state - "monitoring and investigating human rights conditions, advising on legislation, supporting victims, and promoting accountability".

"The ordinance, in its current form, gives the commission clearer powers to promote and protect human rights, address complaints, conduct investigations, inspect places of detention, and seek remedies. It also designates the NHRC as the national preventive mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), an important responsibility that will require ensuring adequate independence and resources," it stated.

The report further said, "National human rights institutions, like the NHRC, ought to be established either through constitutional or legislative text. This calls for careful parliamentary deliberation to ensure the institution's mandate, independence, and credibility are fully secured."

- IANS