Two vital state entities – established to ensure people’s human rights and right to information – have remained all but non-functional for about a year, allegedly due to the indifference of the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.
The National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh (NHRCB) and the Information Commission Bangladesh (IC) have been without members and commissioners, the ultimate policy and decision-makers of these organisations.
After the resignation of the members and commissioners following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League (AL) government in August last year, the interim administration is yet to initiate the processes to replace them.
The failure of the interim government to reconstitute the commissions is depriving people of human rights and necessary information, which are considered to be the fundamental rights of citizens.
Since the fall of the AL regime in a student-led uprising, the country has been witnessing mob lynchings, attacks on houses and shrines across the country amid weak law enforcement and a nearly non-functional human rights commission.
During this period, the interim government has signed agreements with some countries, with little or no access for citizens to those instruments, as the IC is nearly non-operational.
Owing to the non-existence of the policy and decision-makers, the officials of these commissions are just conducting regular administrative activities.
Experts and rights activists described the government’s shortcoming in this regard as unacceptable, saying the administration has given too little importance to reviving these important institutions.
Of course, according to many, both the commissions were not that effective during the tenure of the AL government.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told TIMES of Bangladesh that they have long been demanding the formation of the two commissions, but the government did not pay attention.
The government has set a negative precedent by not making these important entities fully functional, he said, adding that the institutions are meant to provide essential tools for upholding people’s rights in terms of corruption and good governance.
“It is not expected from the interim government, which has committed to upholding good governance and making a corruption-free country,” said Iftekharuzzaman.
Human rights of citizens ignored
“The National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh was reconstituted in 2009 as a national advocacy institution for human rights promotion and protection. It is committed to the accomplishment of human rights in a broader sense, including the dignity, worth, and freedom of every human being, as enshrined in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and different international human rights conventions and treaties to which Bangladesh is a signatory,” according to the commission’s website.
None of these objectives are being met right now due to the absence of its chairman and commissioners since 5 November 2024.
On 7 November last year, NHRCB Chairman Kamal Uddin Ahmed and Members Selim Reza, Bishwajit Chanda, Tania Haque, Aminul Islam, and Kongjuri Chowdhury resigned.
Due to the absence of the decision-makers since then, the commission could not work to uphold human rights for citizens at a time when the country is witnessing a significant number of human rights violations.
Human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) said 124 people have been killed by mobs across the country between January and August this year. Another human rights organisation, Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), reported 67 deaths and 119 injuries in 141 incidents in the first half of the year.
The Chief Adviser’s Office in January said in a statement that at least 40 shrines across the country came under attack in 44 incidents since 4th August last year. The attacks on shrines are still ongoing.
Human rights activist Jyotirmoy Barua said that for the past year, people have not received any satisfactory explanation from anyone as to why NHRCB is not functioning.
“The interim government’s negligence played a role over the past year in all the incidents of human rights violations that have taken place,” he alleged.
On 13 September, the government revealed a draft of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Ordinance 2025, promising human rights protection in line with international standards.
When asked, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division’s Secretary Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury told Times of Bangladesh that it took time as the ministry wants to amend the law.
However, he said he does not know how long it will take to constitute the commission.
“It is taking time due to the drafting of the law,” said Chowdhury.
Citizens’ right to information disregarded
The interim government relieved Chief Information Commissioner Abdul Malek of his duties and Information Commissioner Shahidul Alam in September last year. Later in January, the government removed Information Commissioner Masuda Bhatti. Since then, the Information Commission has remained inactive, raising concerns over the transparency and accountability of the government’s work.
According to rights activists, more than 500 cases are now pending for disposal at the Information Commission, the highest in the history of the organisation, which was established in 2009.
Arup Roy, a senior journalist, who is waiting for his case to be disposed of, said that he could not complete many of his reports that matter to people.
On 31st August, he filed a writ petition with the High Court for not getting the desired information. A High Court bench of Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque and Justice Aynun Nahar Siddiqua issued a ruling, directing the authorities concerned to inform by 2nd November about the steps taken to appoint an information commissioner. The court also issued a rule questioning the failure to appoint an information commissioner as per the Right to Information Act 2009.
“Normally, root-level officials show reluctance to provide information. Now when they see the Information Commission is inactive, they care much less about providing information,” said Arup Roy.
Jyotirmoy Barua said that the government should take the issue of ensuring access to information seriously.
“In many cases, agreements are being signed, but we have no way of knowing their pros and cons. Take Starlink—it has come in, but we know nothing about this agreement,” he said.
A Ministry of Information and Broadcasting official said that they held the last meeting on the process of appointing commissioners on 28th August and sent the proposal to the higher authority for approval.
Sebastin Rema, the secretary of the human rights commission, said that they are doing all administrative jobs except for the tasks that the chairman and the members do.
“We are receiving complaints regularly and doing official tasks,” he said. Some officials say every desk has its routine tasks, and they are doing them accordingly.
Information Commission’s deputy director Helal Ahmed said that they are doing their official work with respect to the ministry’s directives, salaries, and leaves of the officials.
“The ministry has asked us to organise programme to observe International Day for Universal Access to Information. We are working on it now,” he said.
