The United Nations has formally accepted Bangladesh’s decision to withdraw a long-standing declaration under the Convention against Torture, a move that clears the way for victims of state-sponsored torture and enforced disappearance to seek compensation and rehabilitation.
According to a UN document shared by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Thursday, the withdrawal of Bangladesh’s declaration under Article 14(1) of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into effect on 3 February.
The decision follows approval by Bangladesh’s Council of Advisers at its weekly meeting on 29 January, chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. The council endorsed the move as part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability and human rights protections within the country.
The United Nations adopted the Convention against Torture in 1984, and 173 states have since ratified it. Bangladesh became a party to the treaty in 1998 but, at the time of accession, entered a reservation to Article 14(1), which relates to the right of victims of torture to obtain redress, including fair and adequate compensation and rehabilitation.
Bangladesh was among a small group of countries—alongside the Bahamas, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa, and the United States— that made such a reservation. As a result, victims of torture or enforced disappearance attributed to state actions had limited legal avenues to seek compensation or rehabilitation under the convention.
With the withdrawal now in force, those barriers have been removed. Victims of state-sponsored torture will be entitled to seek rehabilitation and compensation, and in cases where torture results in death, dependants of the victim will also have the right to claim redress.
The Council of Advisers described the move as a landmark and historic step, saying it would enhance Bangladesh’s international standing in the field of human rights protection. Officials said the decision would also strengthen state accountability and transparency, aligning domestic practices more closely with international obligations.
Human rights advocates in Bangladesh have long called for the withdrawal of the reservation, arguing that it was incompatible with the spirit of the convention and denied justice to victims. The issue has been a subject of sustained campaigning for nearly two decades.
The UN’s acceptance of the withdrawal represents a major change in Bangladesh’s engagement with international human rights mechanisms, and observers say it could have lasting implications for how allegations of torture and enforced disappearance are addressed in the country going forward.
