Published: 11:50 PM, 23 September 2026
BNP Fails to Keep Promises on Human Rights Protection: HRW
International rights body Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in a press release that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has failed to fulfill the promises it made regarding human rights reforms following the July mass uprising in Bangladesh after coming to power.
In a statement published on Wednesday, the organization said that instead, three laws were recently passed that have once again pushed Bangladesh's human rights protection framework backward.
However, no official reaction or statement has been received from the Bangladesh government regarding this matter.
The three laws highlighted by the organization in its observation are the National Human Rights Commission Law-2026, the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Law-2026, and the 'Special Response Battalion (SRB) Law-2026' regarding the dissolution of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
HRW states that crucial aspects were omitted during the enactment of these laws, raising fears that human rights abusers could become even more empowered.
The statement noted that several measures taken to protect human rights during the former interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus were revoked following the passage of these three new laws. As a result, mechanisms to prevent widespread past human rights violations, such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, have been weakened.
Two ordinances had been promulgated during the former interim government to strengthen the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), granting it powers to prevent, investigate, and hold accountable those involved in enforced disappearances. However, after taking office last February, Tarique Rahman's government curtailed the commission's independence, and the new law weakened its investigative authority, the statement mentioned.
Furthermore, despite demands to dissolve the 'Rapid Action Battalion' (RAB)-a specialized police unit responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture-Human Rights Watch noted that "virtually only the organization's name has been changed."
The organization's observation highlighted that even the protective safeguards applicable to the regular police force were omitted from the new law.
"The new government's efforts to shield security forces from investigation and accountability provide no reason to believe that killings and disappearances will become a thing of the past," said Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
She believes that preventing the recurrence of severe past human rights abuses requires "genuine reform in Bangladesh's security sector and an independent human rights body with the authority to investigate allegations of abuse."
Human Rights Watch also reported that wholesale detentions of political opponents have not stopped under the current government.
The organization stated that during the decade-and-a-half rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted in the 2024 mass uprising, law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh committed widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, detention of critics, and the use of excessive force against protesters.
"Although killings and disappearances have now dropped significantly, (Tarique) Rahman's government, like its predecessor (AL),
continues to arbitrarily detain hundreds of alleged political opponents," HRW stated.
The now-banned Awami League government established a National Human Rights Commission after taking power in 2009, but it was not independent. Consequently, it could not properly investigate allegations raised against law enforcement agencies.
"At that time, a committee influenced by the government or officials close to it selected the members of the Human Rights Commission. Upon receiving allegations against law enforcement agencies, they could only 'request a report from the government' and present a few recommendations," the statement noted.
To overcome this situation, the former interim government issued an ordinance aimed at strengthening the NHRC, which granted it the power to investigate law enforcement agencies. At the same time, it provided independence regarding fundraising and staff recruitment.
This established, for the first time, a national preventive mechanism essential for inspecting and monitoring detention centers in line with the Convention Against Torture.
The ordinance required the approval of the newly elected government in February to remain in effect. However, it ultimately failed to pass in parliament.
"The BNP administration allowed it to lapse," HRW noted in the statement.
Human Rights Watch stated that despite an opposition walkout in Bangladesh's parliament, a new law regarding the Human Rights Commission was passed on September 6. It does not grant direct authority to investigate human rights abuse allegations against law enforcement forces.
It can merely request a report from the accused agency. Although a vague provision suggests that if the agency fails to submit a report or if its report is deemed unsatisfactory, the NHRC can then launch its own investigation.
"The new law restores government control over the appointment process of the National Human Rights Commission, reduces the commission's budget and administrative independence, and degrades the status and independence of the national preventive mechanism," HRW stated in the release.
It further mentioned that, much like the Awami League government's 2009 National Human Rights Commission Law, the current government's new law does not appear to adhere to the minimum international standards for human rights institutions-namely, the 'Paris Principles'.
The 'Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Law' was passed in parliament on September 6. Several reforms adopted during the former interim government were also undone there.
The previous ordinance had granted the NHRC the authority to investigate allegations of enforced disappearance. The new law stripped away that power. Now, instead of the accused agency, the government can delegate the investigation responsibility to another law enforcement agency.
An ordinance issued during the former interim government stated that if a secret detention center was suspected, the NHRC would have the authority to monitor, inspect, and investigate it.
Those powers have been "stripped away" under the new law, HRW noted in the statement.
Changes were also made to the legal criteria for determining command responsibility in cases of enforced disappearance.
Previously, under a legal framework based on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, an officer could be held responsible if they knew or should have known about the matter and failed to take measures to prevent the crime.
"Holding a commanding officer responsible in cases of enforced disappearance now requires proof of direct orders," HRW noted in the statement.
The BNP government announced that the 'Rapid Action Battalion' (RAB)-a specialized police unit sanctioned by the United States and accused of grave human rights violations-was dissolved on September 10.
However, Human Rights Watch states that the force was not actually dissolved, but merely rebranded.
Under the new law, all personnel, powers, records, and assets of the dissolved RAB have been transferred to a new force called the 'Special Response Battalion' (SRB).
"Even the logo remains the same, with only two letters changed from 'RAB' to 'SRB'... despite the BNP itself having previously called for RAB to be disbanded," HRW noted in the statement.
The BNP government hopes that changing the name of the force might prompt the United States to 'reconsider' its sanctions. However, human rights experts expressed disappointment over the lack of effective safeguards, training, oversight, and accountability in the new law.
HRW stated that Bangladesh's international partners should urgently exert pressure on the current government:
"So that the yet-to-be-drafted rules governing SRB operations under the new law include rigorous human rights vetting of personnel, independent external oversight, safeguards regarding arrest and detention, preservation of RAB records and evidence, and an end to the routine deployment of military personnel on secondment for civilian law enforcement."
"Until adequate measures are in place to ensure respect for human rights and accountability for past abuses, the United States should maintain sanctions on the rebranded entity," says Human Rights Watch.
The human rights organization also believes that international partners of Bangladesh, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, should express strong concerns regarding the new government's human rights situation and policies.
"Tarique Rahman came to power promising reform after protesters risked their lives to overthrow a government guilty of widespread and severe human rights abuses."
"It is deeply alarming that the new government is moving so quickly down Sheikh Hasina's oppressive path. Because we can already see where that leads," said Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
>>BBC
