UN warned Bangladesh Army not to intervene July protests

Staff Reporter :

The United Nations had cautioned the Bangladesh Army that any involvement in the July 2024 protests could jeopardise their participation in peacekeeping missions, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk revealed.

In an interview on BBC’s HARDtalk aired on March 5, Turk stated, “We actually gave the warning to the army that if they get involved, it means they may not be able to be a troop-contributing country anymore.”

He noted that changes were observed when Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus assumed the role of Chief Adviser to the Interim Administration.

“As a result, we saw changes when Muhammad Yunus took over as the new chief adviser of the interim administration,” he added.

Responding to a question from HARDtalk host Stephen Sackur, Turk highlighted the massive student-led demonstrations during July and August 2024 against the previous government under Sheikh Hasina.

“There was massive repression happening. The big hope for them was actually our voice, my voice, and the spotlight we put on the situation,” he said.

After taking office, Dr. Yunus reportedly invited the UN to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the situation.

Turk emphasised the impact of UN intervention, stating, “It actually helped. I was in Bangladesh last year, and the students were so grateful for us taking a stand, speaking out, and supporting them.”

On March 5, Volker Turk presented a fact-finding report in Geneva, detailing human rights violations during the 2024 protests.
The report underscores the need for accountability, justice, and human rights reforms in Bangladesh.

“The key findings are that we have reassembled grounds to believe-and that is in the report issued on February 12-that former government officials, members of security and intelligence agencies, and associates of the previous ruling party committed organised and systematic human rights violations,” Turk stated.