BRAC University hosts seminar on implementing OPCAT in Bangladesh

BRAC University, the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and the Mission in Bangladesh of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) jointly organised a seminar on the “Operationalisation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in Bangladesh” at the BRAC University auditorium on Tuesday.

Bangladesh ratified the OPCAT earlier this year. The seminar brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the government, the UN, civil society, NGOs, development partners and young participants to discuss practical steps for the implementation of this key international human rights instrument, according to a press release.

In his welcome remarks, Professor K Shamsuddin Mahmood, Dean of the School of Law at BRAC University, emphasized the importance of strengthening human rights protection and accountability mechanisms in Bangladesh.

Dr Asif Nazrul, the adviser to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, attended the event as the chief guest.

He mentioned that the ratification of the OPCAT is not the end but the beginning of justice.

He further mentioned that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Ordinance 2025 has been gazetted and the national prevention mechanism against torture will soon be constituted.

Congratulating the government of Bangladesh for ratifying the OPCAT, Reto Renggli, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh, said, “This year, Switzerland has joined the UN Human Rights Council, while Bangladesh is concluding its three-year term. This overlap offers us an opportunity to reaffirm strong commitment to human rights, not only at the Human Rights Council in Geneva but also here in Bangladesh to ensure that international standards and commitments translate into actionable and sustainable outcomes.”

Professor Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at BRAC University, said, “Dignity of every individual must be protected in practice and not just in principle.”

Ben Buckland, Senior Adviser at the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), which is a Geneva based organization, delivered the keynote address. He shared regional experiences on national preventive mechanisms for torture and how they have been effective in other countries.

Afterward, a panel discussion brought the wider discussions on torture prevention into the Bangladesh context.

Huma Khan, Head of Mission (a.i.) at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bangladesh, highlighted that an independent, effective and accountable national preventive mechanism is crucial in the fight against torture.

Dr. Saira Rahman Khan, Professor of the School of Law at BRAC University and Secretary of human rights NGO Odhikar, said, “Having a national human rights commission and national preventive mechanisms is useless unless they are truly independent and can work without the fear of persecution. Without the political will of the government to prevent torture, no amount of preventive mechanisms will work.”

Md Abdul Wadud Akanda, Director at the United Nations Wing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to international human rights obligations.

Sazzad Hussain, Member of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance, stressed that the operationalisation of the OPCAT must be done in its full essence and implemented properly.

A video message from Victor Zaharia, a member of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture, was shown at the seminar.

The panel discussion was moderated by Md Mostafa Hosain, Assistant Professor, School of Law, BRAC University, and this interactive segment was followed by a lively Q&A session with the audience.

Alberto Giovanetti, Counsellor and Head of Political, Economic and Communication Affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland, served as the master of ceremonies at the event.