Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, announced the approval during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday (November 6) afternoon.
He said, “There has been a long debate about a law to prevent and address disappearances. Today, the ordinance has been finally approved. It defines enforced disappearance as an ongoing and continuous offense and includes provisions for strict punishment, including the death penalty.”
The ordinance also declares the establishment of secret detention centers — often referred to as “mirror houses” — a punishable offense. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been given authority to receive and investigate complaints related to enforced disappearances.
Additionally, the law mandates that trials in such cases must be completed within 120 days of a complaint being filed in the tribunal. It includes measures for victim and witness protection, compensation, and guaranteed legal aid. A national fund and database will also be established to prevent and address enforced disappearances.
Shafiqul Alam added that the meeting also discussed and approved the draft of the National Logistics Policy and the list of public holidays for 2026. Discussion on the proposed National Urban Policy is ongoing, with no final decision yet.
Highlighting the background of the law, Alam said, “Thousands of people disappeared during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina. The commission investigating disappearances has received around 2,000 formal complaints, but reports suggest the actual number may exceed 4,000. Many victims were held in mirror houses — some returned, but many never came back. Even now, numerous BNP activists remain missing.”
He further noted that the new ordinance aligns with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which Bangladesh joined following approval by the Advisory Council on August 29 last year.
“This is a historic step for Bangladesh,” he said. “From now on, no authoritarian regime will be able to establish a rule of enforced disappearance, and no mirror houses will exist in the country again.”
