Bangladesh Passes Laws Weakening Human Rights Oversight

The Bangladeshi parliament passed three laws in September 2026 that reverse human rights protections and weaken the independence of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Under the government of Tarique Rahman and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the legislation removes safeguards previously established by an interim government to prevent enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

The new laws restrict the NHRC's ability to investigate security forces and remove its power to monitor detention facilities. Additionally, the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Act raises the legal threshold for command responsibility, now requiring evidence of direct orders to hold superiors accountable for disappearances.

On September 10, parliament passed the Special Response Battalion Act, which renamed the US-sanctioned Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as the Special Response Battalion (SRB). The SRB began operations on September 16 without the introduction of new oversight mechanisms. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed suggested the renaming might prompt the United States to reconsider its sanctions.

Human Rights Watch condemned the moves, stating the government is mirroring the abusive patterns of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration. The organization warned that these legislative changes shield security forces from accountability and break the BNP's previous commitments to reform.