Antecedents D uring the mid 1990s, civil society and the international community in Bangladesh came together to advocate for the creation of a national institution to serve as a watchdog to monitor and address the human rights situation across the country. In 1998, draft legislation was prepared following extensive communication and coordination among a wide range of stakeholders. As a part of this process, an ordinance was promulgated in 2007 which formally established the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Commission started functioning officially in December 2008, albeit in a very limited sphere. After a free, fair and credible election held in December 2008, the Parliament enacted the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009, superseding the 2007 Ordinance. The 2009 Act reflects the constitutional and international human rights obligations espoused in the Paris Principles adopted by the UN. Accordingly, based on the Act and Paris Principles, the NHRC was established as an independent and statutory national institution to promote and protect human rights. The 2009 Act provides for a high-level Selection Committee, headed by the Honourable Speaker of the Parliament and comprising Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries, including MPs from both the Treasury and the Opposition bench. Following a thorough s c re e n i n g p ro c e s s , t h e C o m m i tte e r e c o m m e n d s t w o n a m e s fo r e a c h Commissioner position, considering their expertise and contributions in the field of human rights, education, health, social work and management. Upon the recommendation of the Selection Committee, the Honourable President of the People’s Republic of the Bangladesh appointed the following individuals to serve the Commission for a three-year term: Professor Dr. Mizanur Rahman (Chairman); Kazi Reazul Hoque (Full Time Member); Professor Dr. Niru Kumar Chakma (Honorary Member), Mrs. Selina Hosain (Honorary Member), Advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze (Honorary Member), Ms. Aroma Dutta (Honorary Member) and Ms. Nirupa Dewan (Honorary Member). Thus, the pluralistic nature of the Commission, as envisaged by the UN through the Paris Principles, has been ensured. Among the seven members, Chairman Dr. Mizanur Rahman and Full Time Member Kazi Reazul Hoque were appointed with the privileges and remuneration of the judges of the Appellate Division and High Court Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court, respectively. The reconstituted Commission began working on 23 June 2010. Initially, the NHRC faced some significant challenges in regards to office space, personnel, finances and budget management, and other logistics. It is noteworthy that NHRC’s development partners, including UNDP, DANIDA, SIDA and SDC have contributed invaluable support in assisting the Commission to establish a solid foundation and begin to conduct its activities. This partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010 by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance, UNDP and NHRC. 09