Chapter 5: Challenges and Ways Forward Starting its journey in the year of 2009, the NHRC has gone a long way towards increasing the capacity of the NHRC and ensuring human rights in the country. The role of the NHRC depends on its capacity. In May 2010, the Government entered into a five-year agreement with the UNDP launching the National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh Capacity Development Project (NHRCB-CDP) to make the NHRC an effective and sustainable institution. The Project came to an end the year 2015. At present, the NHRC faces the following challenges in building its capacity. B Status of the NHRC In accordance with the Paris Principles (These principles set out the responsibilities, status and functions of national human rights institutions.) and the ICC Statute, the following classifications for accreditation are used by the ICC: A: Compliance with the Paris Principles; B: Not fully in compliance with the Paris Principles No Status: Non-compliance with the Paris Principles. In the latest ICC Sub-Committee on Accreditation Report of March 2015, the SCA recommends that the National Human Rights Commission be accredited with B status. The full compliance with Paris Principles is necessary for the NHRC to be full-fledged to serve the people. The challenges which the NHRC is facing right now are depicted in short beneath. These challenges include the concerns made by the SCA in accrediting the NHRC with B status. 1. Restrictions in investigation against the disciplined forces or any of its members: The NHRC is not empowered to directly investigate allegations of human rights violations against the disciplined forces or any of its members (section 18). Rather, it must request that the Government provide it with a report on the matter. The NHRC should be provided with a broad mandate to investigate all alleged human rights violations, including those involving the military, police and security forces, where these occur outside situations classified as international or internal armed conflicts. The scope of the mandate of the NHRC may be restricted for national security reasons, such restrictions should not be arbitrarily applied and should only be exercised in accordance with domestic law and international obligations. 2. Selection and composition of the commissioners: The President, upon recommendation of the Selection Committee, appoints the Chairman and members of the NHRC (section 6(1)). The Selection Committee is comprised of: the Speaker of the Parliament; the Minister of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; the Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Chairman of the Law Commission; the Cabinet Secretary of the Cabinet Division; and two other Members of Parliament nominated by the Speaker of the Parliament, one of whom shall belong to the Treasury Bench and the other from the Opposition. Four members shall constitute a quorum. It is to be noted that, the Selection Committee is primarily comprised of 41 JAMAKON