National Human Rights Commission Bill passed; opposition walks out in protest

National Human Rights Commission Bill, 2026 was passed in parliament today (6 September), while opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber in protest, saying the new law was weaker and narrower than the earlier ordinance.

During today’s proceedings, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad called on Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman to place the bill for immediate consideration.

Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman then took the floor and said the opposition had already made its position clear on the two bills.

He said the Parliament’s Treasury Bench had promised that stronger and better versions would be brought when the earlier ordinances were repealed.

“But that has not happened,” he added.

Shafiqur then announced the walkout, saying, “We are not participating in the discussion of this law, and we are now walking out.”

The opposition lawmakers then walked out of the chamber with black cloths tied over their mouths.

On 27 August, the opposition had also walked out when the National Human Rights Commission Bill and the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Redress Bill, 2026 were placed before parliament.

At the time, the opposition said it did not want to be part of a process that bypassed the main demands for reform. Following this, it boycotted discussions on the two bills in the parliamentary committee.

During those committee discussions, the opposition accused the government of unilaterally repealing the two ordinances issued during the interim government without considering the views of victims, stakeholders and local and international human rights organisations.

During today’s proceedings, the opposition said the government had promised to replace the two ordinances with stronger and more effective laws when they were repealed.

But the bills now before parliament are weaker and narrower than the previous legal framework, they claimed.

Shafiqur also criticised a provision in the Human Rights Commission Bill that he said would allow citizens and law-enforcement personnel to be treated differently.

He said the commission could directly investigate a citizen for a human rights violation, while the bill includes special provisions for law-enforcement personnel.

“There cannot be different application of the law. In the case of the same offence, an investigation can proceed directly against one person, while it would be blocked in another case. This is not acceptable,” he added.

He thanked the speaker for giving him time and ended his remarks.

In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad told the opposition leader, “Thank you for walking out.”