BNP Pledges Legislation to Prevent Enforced Disappearances if Elected

On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman stated that if his party comes to power through the people’s vote, a comprehensive law will be enacted in line with the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED).

He described enforced disappearances as a grave global issue and one of the most extreme violations of human rights. According to him, such inhumane acts often occur under authoritarian regimes or in politically unstable regions, where state security forces and law enforcement agencies use it as a tool against dissenting voices or opposition movements.

Expressing concern over what he termed an unprecedented number of disappearances during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, Tarique Rahman referred to reports from credible human rights groups, which allege that since January 2009 more than 700 individuals have been forcibly disappeared in Bangladesh. He called this both heartbreaking and alarming.

He further lamented that not a single incident has seen justice so far. However, he noted positively that the current interim government has given initial approval to the draft of the Enforced Disappearance Prevention, Remedy, and Protection Ordinance 2025, aimed at ensuring that such violations never occur again in Bangladesh.

Promising strong measures if BNP forms the next government, Rahman declared:

“On behalf of our party, I assure the nation that under a BNP government no one will be subjected to enforced disappearance. We will adopt proper legislation in line with the UN convention, and justice will be ensured for this heinous crime against humanity.”