Human rights commission remains dysfunctional over a year

Today, Wednesday is International Human Rights Day. This year’s theme is “Human rights are essential to our everyday lives.”

Yet, Bangladesh’s National Human Rights Commission has remained ineffective for over a year.

After some of the most serious incidents of human rights violations during the Awami League’s decade-and-a-half in power, the July uprising had generated public optimism.

However, following the assumption of power by the interim government, the then chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, along with all other members, were compelled to resign in November last year.

It has been alleged that they were forced to resign. The role of the National Human Rights Commission during the Awami League’s tenure had also been widely criticised.

Subsequently, in March, the law adviser, professor Asif Nazrul, assured that the Human Rights Commission Act would be amended and a new commission will be constituted within a month or so.

However, despite the passage of eight months, the Human Rights Commission has not yet been reconstituted. In the meantime, over a month ago, a Human Rights Commission Ordinance was issued.

Although many aspects of the new law have been welcomed by human rights activists, certain provisions have raised concerns.

Commenting on the overall human rights situation, senior Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik told Prothom Alo, “The core aspiration of the July spirit was to ensure protection from state repression wherever possible. Unfortunately, that has not materialised.”

Although the interim government has taken positive steps in investigating disappearances and other human rights violations, the increase in incidents such as mob attacks and lynching has raised serious questions.

According to data from human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), more people were killed in mob beatings between January and October this year than in any single year over the past five years.

ASK reports that 165 people were killed in mob beatings between January and October this year. The numbers were 28 in 2021, 36 in 2022, 51 in 2023 and 128 in 2024.

After the mass uprising in mid-2024, the interim government came to power. Between August 2024 and October of the current year, a total of 261 people were killed in mob attacks.

During this period, numerous allegations were raised concerning mobs being mobilised for extortion, attacks, besieging individuals, and harassing women.

While the government has been accused of indifference in preventing these incidents, remarks by some responsible figures have also been criticised as tacitly supportive.

ASK’s senior coordinator, Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir, told Prothom Alo, “In some places, mobs are being formed for extortion; elsewhere, freedom fighters are being humiliated; women’s freedom regarding clothing and their right to sports is being curtailed; attempts are being made to suppress artistic and cultural rights. This is a direct assault on state order.”

Although the number of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings (40 in 14 months) has declined under the interim government, the number of unidentified bodies recovered has increased.

According to the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) 352 unidentified bodies were recovered in 2023. The number rose to 504 in 2024. As of November this year, the figure stands at 586.

MSF’s executive director, Saidur Rahman, told Prothom Alo, “In the past, the identities of such bodies would eventually be confirmed. Now neither the police nor anyone else provides any information. I have not heard anyone from the ministry of home affairs say anything about it.”

Deaths in custody are also rising. According to ASK, 83 people died in custody between January and October this year. The number was 65 last year, 106 in 2023, and 65 in 2022. A total of 112 people have died in custody during the interim government’s tenure.

Persecution of religious minorities continues as well. According to the Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, between 4 August 2024 and 30 November this year, 2,673 incidents of attacks on minorities occurred. These included 82 murders and 44 incidents of rape.

The organisation’s acting general secretary, Manindra Kumar Nath, told Prothom Alo that attacks on minorities have never really stopped.

However, the current government has emboldened religious extremism, worsening the situation. Archbishop Bejoy D’Cruze of the catholic community in Bangladesh also told Prothom Alo that the country’s Christians now genuinely feel unsafe.

The interim government has also faced allegations of misuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Special Powers Act.

The National Human Rights Commission Ordinance, 2025, has been issued with the aim of protecting human rights. After receiving final approval from the advisory council on 30 October, law adviser Asif Nazrul stated that the previous commission had been weak, with flaws in the appointment process and severe limitations in jurisdiction.

The objective of the new ordinance is to transform the commission into a genuinely empowered institution capable of playing an effective role in preventing human rights violations.

Previously, the commission could not investigate offences committed by law enforcement agencies. Government departments were also under no obligation to provide explanations or reports when requested. The new ordinance grants the commission these powers.

Despite the positive features of the ordinance, questions remain about its effectiveness.

First, what will happen if the next government does not pass the ordinance into law?

Secondly, with elections scheduled for February, it is unlikely that a new commission will be formed before then.

Sayeed Ahmed, Bangladesh Bureau chief of the South Asians for Human Rights (SAFHR), based in Colombo, told Prothom Alo, “For much of its time in power, this government kept the Human Rights Commission ineffective.

Now, by merely amending a law, the interim government is spending its time observing widespread human rights violations with indifference. This is a form of evasion of responsibility.”