and International Community strengthened their advocacy to establish a State watchdog to monitor the human rights situation in the country. As part of this process, draft legislation was prepared in the late 1990s following a wide range of consultations among the stakeholders. An ordinance was promulgated in 2007 which formally established the National Human Rights Commission which started functioning from December 2008 in a very limited sphere. After the free and fair general election in 2008, the Parliament enacted the National Human Rights Commission Act-2009, superseding the 2007 Ordinance reflecting the constitutional and international human rights obligation espoused in the 'Paris Principles' relating to the status of national human rights institutions. The UN General Assembly in 1993 endorsed a set of minimum criteria designed to ensure the independence, effectiveness and pluralism of the national human rights institution in the name of the 'Paris Principles'. Accordingly, based on the 'Paris Principles' and in pursuant to the NHRC Act 2009, the the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh was established as an independent and statutory institution. Appointment of the Chairman and Members of NHRC T h e H o n o u ra b le P res id ent , u p o n recommendation of an impartial Selection Committee, appointed the Chairman and Members of the National Human Rights Commission. The Selection Committee was headed by the Speaker of Parliament and NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT, 2012 17