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The Cabinet has approved both the in-principle and final draft of the Prevention and Remedies for Enforced Disappearance Act, 2026, introducing enforced disappearance as a separate criminal offence with penalties that include life imprisonment and financial fines.
The approval came at the 15th Cabinet meeting held on Monday at the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a press release.
The draft law, proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, stipulates life imprisonment and fines for anyone convicted of enforced disappearance.
If the offence results in death, a body is recovered, or the disappeared person remains missing for five years, the punishment may be extended to either the death penalty or life imprisonment, along with a fine of up to Tk 1 crore.
Under the proposed legislation, enforced disappearance has been designated as a distinct criminal offence that is cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, with the objective of safeguarding human rights, human dignity, individual liberty and the rule of law.
The law seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework to prevent enforced disappearances, prosecute those responsible, locate missing persons, and ensure compensation, rehabilitation and legal protection for victims and their families.
It includes provisions allowing courts to issue search warrants to recover disappeared persons, conduct trials in absentia, admit digital evidence and provide protection for witnesses, complainants, whistle-blowers and victims.
The draft also guarantees victims and their families the right to receive updates on investigations and to know the fate or whereabouts of disappeared persons.
It further provides for legal aid, medical treatment, rehabilitation and a compensation fund. Compensation may be recovered from the assets of convicted individuals or, if that is not possible, paid by the government.
The proposed legislation also allows the spouse and dependent family members of a disappeared person to use the person's property to meet maintenance and essential expenses. After five years, a disappearance certificate may be issued to facilitate inheritance proceedings among legal heirs.
The law also requires the preservation of a central database on disappearance cases and includes provisions for international cooperation.
Both investigations and trials under the proposed law must be completed within a maximum of 120 days each.
During the same meeting, the Cabinet also approved the draft Transfer of Property (Amendment) Act, 2026. The proposed amendment would allow donors to retain lifetime usufruct rights over gifted property, enabling parents or grandparents to transfer property to children or grandchildren while continuing to use it throughout their lifetime.
The Cabinet also endorsed a proposal to repeal the Essential Medicines List 2026 and the Drug Pricing Method 2026, as they had been formulated without the mandatory consultation with the National Drug Advisory Council required under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023.
In addition, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services was approved as a member of the National Drug Advisory Council.
Despite the repeal, the Essential Medicines List introduced under a 1994 Health Ministry order and the existing government drug pricing mechanism will remain in force until revised versions are prepared. The government also decided to update the list and ensure future medicine pricing protects consumers while maintaining healthy market competition.
