Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the government is working on police reform but emphasized that such changes cannot happen overnight. He made the remarks on Sunday, April 5, during a courtesy meeting with a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at his official residence on Bailey Road in Dhaka. The discussion covered law and order, police reform, the establishment of an independent police commission, the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance, the enforced disappearance prevention ordinance, and the Rohingya issue.

During the meeting, the UNDP’s resident representative assured cooperation in police reform and highlighted the organization’s long-standing contribution to forming the National Human Rights Commission. The representative noted that UNDP assisted in drafting the commission’s ordinance, incorporating international best practices. The minister said the ordinance is closely linked with the creation of an independent police commission and will be presented to parliament after necessary review.

On the enforced disappearance ordinance, the minister said it would also be tabled in parliament after further scrutiny. He added that some definitions in the draft make identifying the actual perpetrators difficult and shared his own experience of disappearance. He also clarified that the Armed Police Battalion in Rohingya camps is not an investigative body but promised stronger camp security.