Dhaka, April 13 -- The chairman and four members of the National Human Rights Commission have signalled their "departure" through an open letter, raising questions over the body's legal standing after the repeal of the law under which they were appointed.

One member said they believe their appointments may have effectively ceased after parliament annulled the ordinance that led to their recruitment just two months ago, though no formal communication has come from the government.

The letter, addressed to the public and the government and signed on Monday by Chairman Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, a former Supreme Court judge and members Nur Khan, Shariful Islam, Ilira Dewan and Nabila Idris, does not explicitly mention resignation.

However, ...