NHRC Bill 2026 to take country backwards: Hasnat

Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah has criticised the “National Human Rights Commission (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2026”, saying it would take the country backwards.

He made the remarks as Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman placed the bill before Parliament on Thursday, drawing strong objections from the opposition benches.

If passed, the bill will repeal the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Ordinance 2025, promulgated by the then interim government, and reinstate the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009.

Hasnat said, “Over the years, we have seen the NHRC Act 2009 being used to suppress opposition parties and dissent. Returning to the 2009 law will be a backward move for this Parliament. It will stand as a textbook example of national regression.”

The July fighter-cum-lawmaker criticised the 2009 Act on several fronts, including the method of appointing commission members.

He said the law allows five of the six members of the selection committee to be appointed from within the government,  including the Speaker, the home minister, the law minister, a ruling party MP and a secretary.

Hasnat also pointed to a loophole requiring prior permission from law enforcement agencies before launching investigations against their members.

He further expressed disappointment at the limited time allocated to him to speak on such a “fundamental bill”, alleging that excessive time was spent on other issues. Taking the floor, the law minister dismissed Hasnat’s remarks as “juicy” and “suited for political speech”.

He suggested that Hasnat had read everything except the very first line of the proposed bill, which, he said, calls for further consultation and scrutiny with relevant stakeholders, while ensuring that the commission does not become dysfunctional in the absence of any existing law.

Defending the government’s move to repeal the 2025 ordinance, the law minister said, “It was designed in such a way that even if BNP comes to power, it would not be able to function properly. Section 16 does not provide any clear guidelines regarding investigation and fines, while the provision allowing the commission to act as a plaintiff limits its neutrality.”

There is also ambiguity regarding the ‘enforced disappearance commission’ in this law, he added.