13 rights groups urge revision of proposed NHRC Bill, 2026

Thirteen international human rights organisations today urged the Government of Bangladesh to revise the proposed National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Bill, 2026, stressing the need for alignment with global standards and the establishment of a robust and independent Commission.

In a joint statement, the groups said the bill represents a regression from the protections contained in the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance, 2025, which was scrapped in April 2026.

The statement was jointly issued by Amnesty International, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Association for the Prevention of Torture, Capital Punishment Justice Project, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Odhikar, Omega Research Foundation, Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, REDRESS and World Organisation Against Torture.

Instead of strengthening oversight, the proposed legislation limits the Commission’s mandate, restricts its ability to investigate serious violations, and expands executive influence.

The statement said that the proposed bill moves in the opposite direction at this critical time, when Bangladesh requires stronger oversight mechanisms to end entrenched practices of enforced disappearances, torture, custodial deaths, extrajudicial killings, restrictions on civic space, and attacks on human rights defenders.

The selection committee for commissioners would be dominated by government officials, removing the inclusion of independent figures such as media representatives and ethnic minority voices that were part of the 2025 ordinance. This, they said, creates a conflict of interest, as government representatives would select commissioners tasked with investigating government conduct.

Key safeguards against executive interference have also been removed, including constitutional protections for commissioners’ remuneration and prohibitions on ministerial control. Particularly alarming, the groups noted, is the bill’s treatment of complaints against law enforcement and security agencies, which would effectively allow these institutions to investigate themselves despite being implicated in enforced disappearances, torture, custodial deaths, and extrajudicial killings.

“The proposed NHRC Bill, 2026 fails to meet these standards. Unless substantially amended, it risks creating an institution that retains the appearance of a human rights commission while lacking the powers and independence necessary to fulfil its purpose,” the statement said.

The groups urged the government to reconsider the bill through meaningful public consultations and ensure the Commission’s operational, regulatory, and financial independence. They called for an investigative mechanism with authority over all alleged perpetrators, including security forces; representation of women, ethnic minorities, and marginalised communities; reinstatement of protections for human rights defenders; and restoration of roles in legislative review, treaty engagement, monitoring, education, and awareness-raising.