Bangladesh’s President has issued the 'Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Ordinance, 2025', introducing the death penalty and life imprisonment for those found guilty of enforced disappearances. The ordinance, gazetted by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division on December 1, establishes special tribunals at district and divisional levels to handle such cases. It classifies enforced disappearance as a non-bailable and non-compoundable offense. Government officials or law enforcement members who detain, abduct, or conceal a person’s whereabouts, resulting in deprivation of legal protection, will face severe penalties. If the victim dies or remains missing for over five years, the offender may face the death penalty or life imprisonment. The ordinance also prescribes punishment for destroying evidence or maintaining secret detention centers. Senior officers or commanders who order, permit, or fail to prevent such acts will be held equally accountable. Trials may proceed in absentia if the accused is a fugitive, and detainee information may be withheld temporarily for state security reasons.