DST News: The government has approved the draft of the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Ordinance 2025, which introduces the death penalty and other stringent punishments for involvement in enforced disappearances.
The draft was endorsed at the 47th meeting of the Council of Advisers held at the Chief Adviser’s Office, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Briefing the media at the Foreign Service Academy, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the ordinance classifies enforced disappearance as a continuing crime and criminalizes both the creation and operation of secret detention centers, commonly referred to as “Aynaghar”.
Under the new law, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will have the authority to receive and investigate complaints. Special tribunals will be established to handle such cases, with trials required to be completed within 120 days.
The ordinance guarantees protection for victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers, and provides for compensation, legal assistance, and the formation of a dedicated fund and national database on enforced disappearances.
Alam said the legislation is aligned with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which Bangladesh ratified on August 29, 2024. He noted that this move strengthens constitutional safeguards for the right to life and personal liberty.
He added that with the enforcement of this law, “no future authoritarian government will be able to operate systems of enforced disappearances or maintain secret prisons.”
Regarding the scale of past incidents, Alam stated that hundreds of individuals were subjected to enforced disappearance during the Sheikh Hasina administration. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has received around 2,000 complaints, though commission members estimate the actual number exceeds 4,000. While some victims have returned from these secret facilities, others — including several BNP activists — remain missing.
Chief Adviser’s Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad and Assistant Press Secretary Shuchismita Tithi were also present at the briefing.
