The Bangladeshi parliament has approved three new laws that have been criticized by Human Rights Watch for reversing human rights protections and empowering abusers. The laws, passed in September 2026, have been deemed to be a step backward for human rights in Bangladesh. According to Human Rights Watch, the laws remove safeguards created by the interim government that ruled Bangladesh between August 2024 and February 2026. These safeguards were designed to prevent a return to widespread human rights abuses such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
The new laws have been criticized for weakening the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and reducing its investigative powers. The NHRC was established in 2009, but it lacked independence and had no power to investigate allegations against security agencies. The interim government had introduced ordinances to strengthen the NHRC, but the new laws have reversed these changes. Under the new laws, the NHRC can only request a report from the agency facing allegations, rather than directly investigating them. This has raised concerns about the ability of the NHRC to hold security forces accountable for human rights abuses.
The new laws also relate to enforced disappearances and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Act reverses reforms introduced by the interim government, including the power of the NHRC to investigate allegations of enforced disappearance. The Act also changes the legal standard for command responsibility for enforced disappearances, making it harder to hold commanding officers responsible. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been renamed as the Special Response Battalion (SRB), but Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns that the new law does not include adequate safeguards, training, oversight, or accountability.
Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns about the implications of the new laws for human rights in Bangladesh. According to Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, "Bangladesh needs real security sector reform and an independent human rights body with the authority to investigate allegations of abuse." The organization has called on Bangladesh's international partners to press the government to ensure that the rules for the SRB's activities include rigorous human rights vetting of personnel, independent external oversight, and safeguards governing arrest and detention.
The new laws have been passed despite criticism from opposition legislators, who walked out of parliament in protest. The laws have also been criticized by human rights experts, who have expressed dismay at the lack of provision for safeguards, training, oversight, or accountability in the new law. The United States has imposed sanctions on the RAB for its role in serious human rights abuses, and Human Rights Watch has called on the US to maintain its sanctions on the renamed entity until adequate measures are taken to ensure respect for human rights and accountability for past violations.
The background to the new laws is a period of widespread human rights abuses in Bangladesh. Under the Awami League government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which ruled Bangladesh between 2009 and 2024, law enforcement agencies committed widespread abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests of critics. Although killings and disappearances have sharply declined, the current government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is holding hundreds of perceived political opponents in arbitrary detention.
The international community has been urged to take action in response to the new laws. Human Rights Watch has called on Bangladesh's international partners to press the government to ensure that the rules for the SRB's activities include rigorous human rights vetting of personnel, independent external oversight, and safeguards governing arrest and detention. The organization has also called on the US to maintain its sanctions on the renamed entity until adequate measures are taken to ensure respect for human rights and accountability for past violations.
Key points
- The new laws in Bangladesh have been criticized for reversing human rights protections and empowering abusers.
- The laws weaken the National Human Rights Commission and reduce its investigative powers.
- The international community has been urged to take action in response to the new laws, including pressing the government to ensure that the rules for the Special Response Battalion include rigorous human rights vetting of personnel and independent external oversight.
