Dhaka, Jan. 30 -- The interim government has taken a key step towards allowing compensation and rehabilitation for victims of torture and enforced disappearance by withdrawing a long-standing declaration linked to a United Nations anti-torture treaty.

The decision, approved on Thursday at a meeting of the Advisory Council chaired by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, relates to Article 14(1) of the UN Convention against Torture, which guarantees victims the right to redress and compensation, the Chief Advisor's Office (CAO) said in a statement.

Bangladesh ratified the convention in 1998 but, along with a handful of other countries, entered a reservation limiting the application of the article. As a result, victims of state-led torture or enf...