NHRC members step down after Parliament repeals ordinance

All members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have resigned following the repeal of an ordinance issued during the interim government.

Sources said the commissioners stepped down after the ordinance under which they were appointed was annulled. Following their resignation, the outgoing members sent an open letter to the media outlining their position.

On Thursday (9 April), the Jatiya Sangsad passed the National Human Rights Commission (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill through a voice vote. The bill will take effect immediately upon receiving presidential assent and being published in the official gazette.

With the bill’s passage, parliament rejected opposition objections and repealed the ordinance, reinstating the National Human Rights Commission Act, 2009, which was enacted during the tenure of the Awami League government.

Commenting on the resignations, outgoing commission member Nur Khan said the government had not directly asked them to resign. “We were left in uncertainty. Since we were appointed under the previous ordinance, and that ordinance no longer exists, we believed it was appropriate to step down,” he said.

Meanwhile, Commission Secretary Kudrat-e-Elahi said the repeal of the ordinance automatically dissolved the existing commission. However, he noted that he had not yet reviewed the open letter submitted by the outgoing members.