Opposition walks out of JS as bills on enforced disappearance, Human Rights Commission passed

Three key bills — the National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026; the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Bill, 2026; and the Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill, 2026 — were passed in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) on Sunday amid strong objections and a walkout by opposition MPs.

They alleged that the bills on Human Rights Commission and enforced disappearance were weak, and left loopholes for state-backed and law enforcement agencies to avoid accountability at their will.

Several opposition and independent lawmakers, including Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen of Pabna-1, Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud of Patuakhali-2 and Barrister Rumeen Farhana of Brahmanbaria-2, raised objections and spoke against the bills.

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They argued that key provisions had not received sufficient scrutiny, contained procedural gaps and required broader consultations with stakeholders before being passed. They also claimed that some proposed provisions under the transfer property bill were inconsistent with the Quran and Hadith.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed moved the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Bill, 2026, which seeks to prohibit enforced disappearance and establish legal mechanisms for accountability and redress.

Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman also spoke on a point of order, strongly opposing the Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill, 2026. He urged the House not to pass the bill and suggested seeking opinions from the Islamic Foundation and noted Islamic scholars before enacting the law.

Opposition lawmakers subsequently staged a walkout.

They had staged a similar walkout shortly before the bills were placed before the House on 27 August. The bills were later sent to the respective parliamentary standing committees for further scrutiny. Opposition MPs also boycotted the meetings of the JS bodies considering the bills.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman moved the Transfer of Property (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the century-old Transfer of Property Act, 1882.

One of its key provisions is to allow parents to retain lifetime rights to use and occupy property even after transferring ownership to their children.

Speaking before the passage of the bill, the law minister said it was not contrary to Islamic values or Quranic rules.

He also moved the National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026, which seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity and investigative powers of the statutory rights watchdog.

Under the proposed law, the commission will comprise a chairperson and four commissioners, with at least one woman. It also gives priority to qualified candidates from ethnic minority and underprivileged communities based on recommendations from a search committee.

The search committee will include university professors, civil society representatives and representatives of ethnic minority and underprivileged communities.