The Advisory Council of Bangladesh has approved a proposal to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), introducing a mandatory requirement to notify a detainee’s family, lawyer, or friend within 12 hours of arrest.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Advisory Council held on Thursday, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul announced the decision at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka following the meeting.
Under the proposed amendment, law enforcement officers must inform the arrested individual’s close relatives or legal representatives within a maximum of 12 hours after taking the person into custody.
This communication must take place before or immediately after bringing the person to the police station. No exceptions will be allowed beyond the 12-hour window.
Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam also briefed the media on additional decisions taken during the meeting.
According to the Constitution of Bangladesh and existing CrPC provisions, any arrested person must be presented before a magistrate within 24 hours.
Furthermore, the High Court has previously issued directives requiring that families of detainees be informed immediately upon arrest.
