High Court, NHRC sided with rights violators under AL govt: Asif Nazrul

The High Court and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had acted as a "pro-force for human rights violations" during the tenure of the fallen Awami League government, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul said today (13 September).

Speaking at a workshop on "Amendment of the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2009", the adviser highlighted the difference in approach between political governments and the interim government.

The workshop, organised by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was held at a hotel in Inani, Ukhia Upazila of Cox's Bazar.

At the event, Asif Nazrul expressed hope for future reforms, saying, "We are not so pessimistic as to believe that any political party that comes to power after the election will completely forget the expectations of the July Uprising and abandon the reform initiatives."

"When political parties make laws, they consider their own advantages and how to retain power. The interim government's focus is on how much power can be transferred from the government to the independent bodies," he said.

We are not so pessimistic as to believe that any political party that comes to power after the election will completely forget the expectations of the July Uprising and abandon the reform initiatives

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul

Barrister Tanim Hossain Shawon, a special consultant to the law ministry, presented the keynote address, providing a summary of the "Proposed National Human Rights Commission Act 2025."

The event featured special remarks from UNDP Bangladesh's Resident Representative Stefan Liller, Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Siegfried Renggli, and Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan.

Other speakers included UN Human Rights officer Iftikhar Syed Ali. The chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, retired Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, gave the closing remarks.