On 17 July 2025, Bangladesh acceded to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), with the treaty entering into force on 16 August 2025. This was a milestone in Bangladesh’s human rights trajectory and a clear signal of renewed commitment to dignity, accountability, and justice.
The OPCAT is not about making new promises, it is about implementing the existing one to prevent torture and ill-treatment. Bangladesh already undertook to prevent torture and ill-treatment through the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act of 2013. What OPCAT adds is the requirement to build the mechanisms needed to put these obligations into practice, most importantly through independent, regular monitoring of all places of detention. From police lock-ups to prisons, from psychiatric institutions to immigration detention, OPCAT strengthens safeguards in places where abuses too often remain hidden.
Bangladesh became a party to the UNCAT in 1998. Unfortunately, that did not curb the use of torture and ill-treatment treatment in the custody of law enforcement. However, the “July Revolution” in 2024 created a turning point. A new interim government has since placed human rights at the centre of its agenda: acceding to the Convention against Enforced Disappearances, inviting a UN fact-finding mission on protest-related abuses, and agreeing to establish an OHCHR country office. Against this backdrop, OPCAT accession is a logical and welcome step. The next challenge is establishing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to conduct monitoring visits to all places where people are or may be deprived of their liberty.
On 9 December 2025, the Swiss Government, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the School of Law at BRAC University convened a national dialogue on OPCAT. The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), representing the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC), delivered the keynote address, which focused on the practical and operational lessons that will be needed to successfully implement the OPCAT. The event brought together youth, senior government officials, civil society, members of the judiciary and barristers, alongside international partners to commend Bangladesh’s accession and chart the next steps for establishing an effective, independent NPM. Participants underscored that political commitment, institutional clarity, and adequate resources will determine the success of OPCAT implementation.
At the same time, history calls for vigilance. Successive governments have failed to prevent torture, and officials implicated in torture and extrajudicial killings have often been rewarded rather than held accountable. Law enforcement has long served political interests, with torture used as a tool against opposition voices. UNCAT alone did not alter this reality. Whether OPCAT will represent a genuine break from the past depends entirely on political will.
The United Against Torture Consortium welcomes Bangladesh’s accession and stands ready to support the implementation process. Our member organisations contribute expertise in prevention, rehabilitation, litigation, and advocacy, along with the lived experiences of survivors. Together, we are committed to ensuring that OPCAT becomes not just a ratified treaty but a living protection system. This requires establishing an independent, well-resourced NPM, strengthening safeguards in police custody, and promoting accountability and transparency across all detention facilities.
OPCAT also places Bangladesh within a global network of cooperation. The country will benefit from the guidance of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) and from exchanges with other states that have undergone similar reforms. Torture is not a challenge unique to Bangladesh; it is a universal risk that requires constant vigilance.
Most importantly, accession to OPCAT enhances Bangladesh’s credibility on the international stage. It demonstrates that the interim government takes its human rights obligations seriously and is willing to invite scrutiny. At a moment of heightened international attention, this is a welcome affirmation of Bangladesh’s commitment to reform.
With the establishment of a strong, independent monitoring mechanism, Bangladesh now has an opportunity to give genuine effect to its obligations under UNCAT. The United Against Torture Consortium remains committed to working alongside Bangladeshi partners to help make OPCAT a reality. One that protects lives, strengthens institutions, and builds a more just future.
