Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today criticised the government's decision to allow stakeholders only one day to submit opinions on the draft Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Act, calling it a "mockery" and urging authorities to extend the consultation period by at least two weeks.
The draft was uploaded to the home ministry's website on July 27, with opinions sought by July 28.
In a press release, TIB said recent instances of bills being introduced as supplementary agenda items and laws being rushed through parliament in violation of the Rules of Procedure, including the Invest Bangladesh Act, 2026, had raised concerns that the same approach could be adopted for the proposed law.
It also called for meaningful participation by victims of enforced disappearance and other stakeholders, a two-week extension for submitting opinions, and an inclusive revision of the draft based on the recommendations received.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman welcomed several provisions in the draft, including recognising enforced disappearance as a distinct criminal and continuing offence, holding senior officials and those issuing orders accountable, and rejecting state security as a justification for the crime.
He also said recent violations of parliamentary procedures in passing major laws had fuelled fears that the government's parliamentary majority could again be used to rush through the legislation.
TIB questioned the provision assigning investigations into enforced disappearance cases to the police instead of the National Human Rights Commission.
"There are specific allegations that members of the police and other law enforcement agencies were involved in many of the enforced disappearances that occurred in the past," Dr Iftekharuzzaman said.
He noted that the ordinance issued during the interim government had entrusted such investigations to the National Human Rights Commission and questioned why that provision had been reversed under a government whose leaders and activists had themselves experienced enforced disappearance and killings during the previous authoritarian regime.
"Are we then to assume that the political and bureaucratic establishment currently in power has learned nothing from the authoritarian era?" he asked.
Referring to section 15 of the draft, he questioned whether a subordinate investigating officer could realistically submit an interim report against a superior officer.
Allowing a magistrate to discharge a senior official based on such a report could render the law ineffective, creating legal protection for those accused and enabling authoritarian practices to persist, he added.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman further argued that retaining the provision would allow the ministries of home affairs and law to retain control over enforced disappearance cases and shape the official narrative surrounding them.
TIB noted that prominent figures from both the ruling and opposition parties had themselves been victims of enforced disappearance during the previous authoritarian regime, while many others remain missing.
The organisation expressed hope that the government would extend the consultation period and revise the draft through necessary additions, deletions and amendments, incorporating the views and recommendations of victims and other stakeholders in line with international best practices.
