Widespread frustration and anger have erupted following the cancellation of Bangladesh’s much-anticipated Human Rights Commission Ordinance. Analysts and stakeholders warned that the government’s decision not to retain key provisions from the interim administration’s ordinance would render the commission ineffective. The ordinance, issued in November 2025, had expanded the commission’s powers and restructured its leadership, including appointing former Justice Moinul Hossain as chairman. However, as the ordinance was not presented to parliament within 30 days of its first session, it automatically lapsed under constitutional provisions.

Officials and victims expressed deep dissatisfaction, alleging that the move aims to shield law enforcement officers implicated in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman defended the decision, citing the need to avoid legal conflicts between the ordinance and existing laws. In contrast, commission members and victims’ families accused the government of undermining accountability for serious human rights violations.

The commission’s chairman, Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, called the government’s move unprecedented and regrettable, warning it would damage Bangladesh’s international image. Several international organizations, including Washington-based Right to Freedom and TIP, also voiced concern over the government’s decision.