The Advisory Council has given in-principle approval to the draft “Prevention, Remedies, and Protection Against Enforced Disappearances Ordinance, 2025.”
Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed that the ordinance—developed with input from BLAST, Human Rights Watch, and other rights groups—defines enforced disappearance as a continuing crime and includes provisions for the death penalty. Establishing or using secret detention centers will be criminalized.
The draft also empowers the National Human Rights Commission to investigate complaints, mandates trial within 120 days of charge framing, and ensures victim protection, compensation, and legal aid. Additionally, the council approved the proposal to mark October 17 each year as a national observance of the mystic bard Lalon Shah’s death anniversary.