Cabinet clears draft Human Rights Commission Act

The cabinet gave final approval Monday to the draft National Human Rights Commission Act, 2026, which includes provisions for a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) unit tasked with preventing custodial torture, deaths, and enforced disappearances.

The draft was cleared at a cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with the Cabinet Division confirming the development in a press release issued that evening. The statement framed the legislation as part of Bangladesh's commitment to upholding the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various international covenants and treaties, describing respect for human rights as one of the state's core pledges. Under the draft law, the proposed commission will comprise a chairperson and four commissioners, with at least one woman guaranteed a seat, while the selection committee -- drawing on university academics, civil society representatives, and members from ethnic minority or disadvantaged communities -- is directed to prioritise qualified candidates from those same communities.

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The legislation also clarifies the commission's scope of work, simplifies the process for filing complaints, and grants it the power to issue interim orders to guarantee victims' immediate safety during investigations. In line with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture, the NPM unit provision specifically targets custodial abuse -- a persistent concern in Bangladesh's human rights record. Officials say the overhaul is intended to establish a more effective and independent national commission with greater capacity to safeguard rights and protect victims.