Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), has said Bangladesh must not repeat the experience of having a “toothless and spineless” National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) like in the past.
Speaking at a discussion on the draft National Human Rights Commission Ordinance–2025 at Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka on Saturday, Bhattacharya recalled that the initial draft of the NHRC law was prepared under the Fakhruddin administration in 2009 and approved by the subsequent government. Under that law, the commission was formed and its chairpersons were appointed.
However, following the formation of the interim government on 7 November 2024, the NHRC was dissolved and the country has been without a national human rights body for nearly a year.
Bhattacharya questioned whether the commission, during its existence, had improved the state of human rights in Bangladesh and expressed doubts over the changes proposed in the new draft law.
“We want a commission that can effectively protect human rights,” he said. “Appointing a good but spineless person to lead a toothless commission will not work. We need honest, principled, and courageous individuals who can firmly defend people’s rights and stand up to the government.”
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, also speaking at the event, noted that the previous commission failed to adequately address human rights issues in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and that the draft law appeared to neglect this area as well.
He also questioned the removal of provisions on dual citizenship, which now allows dual citizens to be appointed to the commission, and urged reconsideration of provisions that would permit the appointment of civil servants to the body.
