Enforced Disappearance ordinance okayed
Staff Reporter :
The Advisory Council headed by Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday gave both policy and final approval to the draft Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy (Amendment) Ordinance 2025.
Under the ordinance, if a person remains disappeared for at least five years and does not return alive, the tribunal will be able to formally declare the person as “disappeared.”
The government will be able to appoint the required number of public prosecutors for the Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Tribunal in line with recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission.
Victims or complainants will also be allowed to appoint lawyers for the tribunal at their own initiative, Chief Adviser’s Press Wing said on Thursday.
In addition, the wife of a disappeared person, or any dependent family member, will be able to use the disappeared person’s property without prior permission from the commission.
The Advisory Council also approved, in principle and finally, the draft Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Ordinance 2025. Bangladesh’s haor ecosystem is rare and unique on a global scale.
However, unplanned embankment construction obstructing rivers and waterways, indiscriminate use of poisons and pesticides, and the negative impact of tourism have pushed this ecosystem to the brink of destruction.
At the same time, the existing legal framework for protecting wetlands remains inadequate.
Through this ordinance, the specific responsibilities, authority, and jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Directorate will be clearly defined.
Provisions have been included to issue protection orders aimed at conserving biodiversity, the environment, ecology, and ecosystems of haor and wetland areas.
The ordinance also provides for declaring protected haor and wetland zones to ensure their conservation.
It outlines prohibited activities in haor and wetland areas, classifies violations as offences, and specifies penalties for such offences.
In implementing development projects in these areas, obtaining the opinion of the directorate will be mandatory, subject to defined exceptions.
The ordinance further empowers the authorities to formulate rules, regulations, and guidelines to ensure coordination with other agencies where necessary, involve local stakeholders, and include them in conservation activities.
At the Council meeting, the government also discussed the health condition of Sharif Osman Hadi, a courageous frontline fighter of the July mass uprising and spokesperson of the Inqilab Manch. His condition remains extremely critical.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has been maintaining regular contact with the Chief Adviser regarding Hadi’s condition and has been inquiring about his health.
A senior official from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs arrived in Singapore on Wednesday and is directly overseeing Hadi’s medical treatment.
Finally, the Advisory Council expressed special thanks to the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs for organising this year’s Victory Day celebrations in a dignified and orderly manner.