Bangladesh: New Laws Reverse Human Rights Protections and Reform Commitments

The legislative package targets the National Human Rights Commission by removing its institutional independence and investigative authority over security forces. Lawmakers also passed a law that purports to abolish the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion, replacing it with a renamed unit while providing fewer safeguards than apply to the regular police. Human Rights Watch Asia director Elaine Pearson stated that the government actions fail to provide reasons to trust that past abuses will remain absent.

Weakening the National Human Rights Commission

The interim government that governed from August 2024 to February 2026 introduced two ordinances to empower the National Human Rights Commission. Those measures granted powers to investigate security agencies independently and instituted a National Preventive Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture to monitor detention centers. Following the election of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in early 2026, the administration let those ordinances lapse rather than seeking parliamentary confirmation.

Parliament passed replacement legislation on September 6, 2026, following a walkout by opposition legislators. Under the new statutory framework, the commission cannot directly investigate security force violations. Instead, it must request reports from agencies facing allegations, restoring government control of the appointments process and reducing administrative independence below international Paris Principles standards.

Reforming and Renaming the Rapid Action Battalion

Lawmakers also passed the Special Response Battalion Act on September 10, 2026, which renamed the Rapid Action Battalion. The paramilitary unit previously faced United States sanctions due to its role in serious human rights abuses. Seven former senior officers face targeted US sanctions, while several former members face trial at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal.

The new law transfers all personnel, powers, and property, including records to the newly formed Special Response Battalion, which began operations on September 16, 2026. Human rights experts noted that the renamed force retains the same logo and lacks provisions for safeguards, training, oversight, or accountability in the new law.

Alterations to Enforced Disappearance Laws

Parliament adopted the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Act on September 6, 2026, replacing interim government reforms that allowed the human rights commission to inspect secret detention sites. Under the new statute, the government designates a security agency other than the agency implicated to investigate disappearance allegations rather than independent bodies. Furthermore, legal standards for command responsibility were narrowed from Rome Statute principles to require proof of direct orders before holding commanders accountable.

International partners, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, face calls from human rights organizations to maintain sanctions and press Dhaka for genuine security sector reforms. Human Rights Watch emphasized that the current administration risks repeating the severe abuses that marked the rule of the Awami League.

It is deeply alarming to see the new government so quickly following in the abusive footsteps of Sheikh Hasina, because we have seen where this can lead.

Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch