Staff Reporter :
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed a strong interest in supporting Bangladesh’s interim government and its people in advancing democracy and human rights.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the announcement during a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
“The UN Human Rights Office looks forward to supporting the Interim Government and the people of Bangladesh at this pivotal moment to revitalize democracy, seek accountability and reconciliation, and advance human rights for all,” Shamdasani stated.
She also revealed that a new team from the UN Office would arrive in Bangladesh in the coming weeks to investigate violations and abuses that occurred during recent protests.
“The Office will deploy a fact-finding team to Bangladesh with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analyzing root causes, and making recommendations to advance justice, accountability, and long-term reforms.
The team has received commitments from the Interim Government and security forces for full cooperation in this work,” she said.
Shamdasani referenced a previous UN team that visited Bangladesh between August 22 and 29 to investigate incidents during the student protests.
The advance team held meetings with various stakeholders, including advisors to the Interim Government, the Chief Justice, senior police and military officers, lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders, political party representatives, and minority and indigenous community leaders.
During these meetings, the team discussed the modalities for investigating human rights violations and abuses in the context of the recent violence and unrest, as requested by the Interim Government.
The discussions also covered broader areas such as civic space, the need for truth, justice, healing, reparation, reconciliation, and other human rights approaches to the reform process, in which the UN Office could provide ongoing support.
Shamdasani mentioned that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk had received an official invitation from Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed between July 1 and August 15.
The High Commissioner also welcomed Bangladesh’s accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the establishment of a five-member national commission of inquiry to determine the whereabouts of individuals allegedly forcibly disappeared by law enforcement agencies.
The issue of enforced disappearances has a long and painful history in Bangladesh, on which the UN Human Rights Office and other UN human rights mechanisms have strongly advocated.
“We stand ready to support the Commission in its work, which should be carried out in close consultation with victims and their families and in line with international human rights standards, including the guiding principles for the search for disappeared persons,” the spokesperson added.