Staff Reporter :
The United Nations has begun discussions with the government regarding preliminary fact-finding into human rights violations, including killings that occurred during the anti-discrimination student and public protests.
A three-member UN delegation arrived in Dhaka on Thursday to discuss how the fact-finding mission will be conducted.
The delegation met with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen at his office on Thursday.
After the meeting, the head of the delegation, Rory Mungoven, stated, “We had preliminary and pre-investigation discussions on how our office can support the interim government.”
Rory Mungoven said, “The team visiting Bangladesh this week is not an investigation team; it is a pre-fact-finding team.
We will talk to the interim government, advisors, several ministries, and civil society to understand your priorities and needs, and determine how the High Commissioner’s Office can assist.”
“We will certainly discuss the fact-finding process, how it will advance the national investigation, and other related aspects.
At this moment, I cannot say exactly how it will unfold,” he added.
The Foreign Secretary mentioned that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has been inspired by the courage and commitment shown by the people of Bangladesh, especially the youth, in defending democracy and human rights.
He added that, in this context, his office is willing to provide any support to the interim government, civil society, and the people of Bangladesh.
On August 14, the UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk had informed the interim government’s chief adviser, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, that the UN would soon begin an investigation into the killings of protesters during the recent student movement in Bangladesh.
Before embarking on the investigation, UN Human Rights on August 16 unveiled a 30-page report titled, “Preliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrest in Bangladesh” stated that more than 600 people were killed including 32 children during the student protest movement between 16 July and 11 August.
The report also revealed that of the deceased, 400 deaths were reported from 16 July to 4 August, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new waves of protest between 5 and 6 August.