The expression of ‘enforced disappearance’ is absent in criminal laws of Bangladesh. However, there are penal provisions for crimes such as abduction, wrongful confinement, and grievous hurt. In case of enforced disappearance involving support or acquiescence of the state, currently no legal action can be directly lodged for enforced disappearance as it does not fall within the definition of abduction. In case of enforced disappearance by non-state actors, legal proceedings can be initiated for such incident at least as offence of abduction under the Penal Code. Moreover, the Code of Criminal Procedure requires government authorization prior to suing a public servant, which remains a main obstacle to hold law enforcement agencies accountable for enforced disappearance. Thus, state actors involved in enforced disappearance currently enjoy impunity for such a crime. Another barrier in ensuring legal accountability is the lack of witnesses in cases of enforced disappearance. This promotes a culture of impunity and undermines the rule of law. The NHRC is also concerned about a new trend of deaths in custody when it is claimed that the victim died of heart attack or in a grenade explosion while in custody of the RAB or detectives.13 Human rights violations by the Indian border security forces (BSF) is frequently reported along the borders between Bangladesh and India. Instances of BSF shooting, killing, torturing and abducting unarmed Bangladeshi civilians in the border constitute gross violation of human rights. The NHRC has expressed its deep concern about the border killing and asked Indian authorities to take measures to stop border killing. There unfortunately continues to be a lack of accountability for such actions. NHRC views that impunity of law enforcing agencies is also major barrier in implementation of the ICCPR. The need to end the culture of impunity of law enforcement officials and to increase their accountability is utmost. Stamping out extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances is critical for upholding the rule of law as well as ensuring the right to life. The NHRC supports action to bring to justice all officials accused of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in a transparent way. The NHRC calls for independent and impartial investigations into any alleged such cases. 18. Another disturbing trend is that punishment of death penalty is provided for many pretty offences under the laws of Bangladesh, which are out of proportion to the gravity of the offence. Such widespread prescription of death penalty as a mode of punishment is inconsistent with international human rights standard. The Penal Code, 1860 prescribes death sentence for eight kinds of offence. Apart from the Penal Code, death sentence has been prescribed for kidnapping or abducting a minor under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1958; keeping arms under the Arms Act, 1878, causing explosion under the Explosive Substance Act, 1908. After emergence of Bangladesh, a large number of criminal statutes were enacted prescribing death sentences for various crimes. The statutes that prescribe death sentence include the Special Power Act, 1974, the Emergency Power Act, 1975; the Martial Law Regulations, 1975; the Terrorism Control Act 13 http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/ugc-official-dies-rab-custody-150700: The death (claimed died of heart attack) of Omar Siraj, the University Grants Commission official who had been arrested for his alleged involvement in leaking questions of medical college and university admission exams in RAB custody 10