Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul yesterday said institutional reforms were required alongside legal ones to prevent enforced disappearance, calling the crime worse than murder.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a day-long workshop on the issue at a city hotel.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances organised the workshop with assistance from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations.

Nazrul said a courageous and justified role of judges is essential for ensuring justice as "the impartial and bold stand of the judiciary will uproot the culture of enforced disappearance from Bangladesh".

Commission Chairman retired justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury presented the keynote paper at the workshop, saying collective cooperation among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, and human rights organisations is a must to stamp out the culture of enforced disappearances.

Commission member retired High Court Division judge Md Farid Ahmed Shibli, Law and Justice Division Secretary Liaquet Ali Molla, and Senior Human Rights Adviser at the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Bangladesh Huma Khan also spoke at the event.

Ninety participants, including judges of different courts and tribunals and trainees, took part in the workshop.