SS Report
Dhaka, 9 December 2025:
Bangladesh will soon establish its first National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to combat torture, a key requirement under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). This major direction was confirmed at a high-level seminar in Dhaka, where officials and experts called for ensuring the new body’s full independence and accountability.
The announcement came from Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, who stated that the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025 has already been gazetted, paving the way for the NPM’s formation. He emphasized that OPCAT ratification marks “the beginning of justice,” urging all institutions to strengthen safeguards against torture.
The seminar, jointly organised by the Embassy of Switzerland, the OHCHR Mission in Bangladesh, and BRAC University’s School of Law, brought together government representatives, UN officials, civil society, NGOs and young participants to chart the operational roadmap for OPCAT implementation.
Speakers stressed that the upcoming NPM must be structurally independent, adequately resourced and able to conduct unannounced visits to places of detention—core OPCAT requirements. Swiss Ambassador H.E. Reto Renggli noted that Bangladesh’s ratification presents an opportunity to translate international human rights commitments into credible national action.
Keynote speaker Ben Buckland of the Association for the Prevention of Torture shared global experiences where robust NPMs have reduced abuse in detention centres. Panelists including OHCHR’s Huma Khan and BRAC University’s Dr. Saira Rahman Khan cautioned that the mechanism would be ineffective without strong political will and protection from interference.
The event concluded with a lively Q&A session, moderated by BRAC University faculty, reaffirming broad consensus on moving swiftly and decisively toward operationalising the NPM.
Source: Swiss Embassy
