Rights body fears National Human Rights Commission Act 2026 may allow state control

Rights organization Odhikar has officially expressed grave concern that the newly drafted National Human Rights Commission Act 2026, if passed in parliament, could transform the commission into a completely government-controlled institution. This development follows a critical cabinet meeting held on Sunday, August 10, during which the draft of the National Human Rights Commission Act was officially approved by the cabinet.

The concerns raised by Odhikar come in the historical context of the country, notably following the 15.5-year long fascist rule of Hasina, where independent state institutions faced severe restrictions and oversight challenges. The organization fears that the newly proposed legislative framework fails to break away from past authoritarian tendencies, potentially compromising the fundamental independence expected from a national human rights watchdog.

A critical point of contention in the newly approved legislation centers around section 19 of the new draft law. According to this specific provision, if law enforcement agencies or any of their individual members are accused of committing human rights violations, the commission will not be permitted to initiate an investigation into the matter on its own accord at the very beginning.

Furthermore, the organizational structure designed for selecting commission members has drawn significant scrutiny regarding its neutrality and independence. The proposed selection committee comprises a total of 9 members, which includes the Speaker of the national parliament, two government ministers, one member of parliament from the ruling party, and the cabinet secretary.

Critics and rights defenders point out that such a composition heavily tilts the balance toward the executive branch of the government. With multiple high-ranking government officials and ruling party representatives sitting on the panel, the independence of the selection process itself is brought into serious question, reinforcing fears that the commission will lack the autonomy required to hold state actors accountable for human rights abuses.