Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed tabled the Prevention and Remedies for Enforced Disappearance Bill, 2026, in parliament on August 27. If passed, the bill would establish enforced disappearance as an offence and provide punishment, rights, compensation and rehabilitation for victims and their families. The proposal gives a legal definition of disappearance for the first time, covering detention or abduction by state employees, disciplined-force members or those acting with government approval, followed by denial or concealment of a person’s whereabouts.

The bill provides for life imprisonment and a Tk50 lakh fine if an allegation is proven. If a victim dies or remains missing after five years, the maximum penalty would be death or life imprisonment, along with a Tk1 crore fine. It also allows planned disappearances to be tried as crimes against humanity at the International Crimes Tribunal and includes provisions on legal aid, medical care, digital evidence, trials in absentia, and witness and informant protection.

Rights advocates and legal experts question the proposal to assign investigations to law-enforcement agencies rather than an independent body. They argue that allegations involving security personnel require a separate commission or civilian authority with dedicated staff, funding and access to secret detention sites. Experts also raised concerns about victim support, witness protection and the feasibility of completing complex cases within 120 days.