Play store
The government has approved the draft of the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2026, which includes provisions for establishing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) unit to prevent torture, deaths and enforced disappearances in state custody.
The draft was given final approval at the Cabinet’s regular meeting on Monday (August 10), chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.
The Cabinet Division confirmed the decision.
The proposed preventive mechanism is in line with the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
It will focus on preventing torture, custodial deaths and enforced disappearances through monitoring and preventive measures.
Under the proposed law, the National Human Rights Commission will consist of a chairperson and four commissioners, with at least one woman required to be included.
The selection process will also give priority to qualified candidates from ethnic and disadvantaged communities.
The commission will have clearer powers to receive complaints, conduct investigations and issue interim orders to protect victims from immediate harm while investigations are ongoing.
The draft also seeks to make the complaint process easier and strengthen the commission’s investigative capacity, with the broader aim of ensuring human rights protection and compliance with international human rights treaties.
The Cabinet said Bangladesh remains committed to upholding human rights in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international laws, conventions and treaties.