Diplomatic Correspondent :
The interim government of Bangladesh, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) to establish a human rights office in the country for an initial period of three years.
According to the OHCHR, the agreement aims to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights in Bangladesh.
The MoU was signed this week by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam on behalf of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
As of Friday, the interim government has yet to issue an official public statement on the agreement.
The move has sparked criticism from some political and religious groups. During Friday prayers at Baitul Mukarram Mosque, several parties including Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Khelafat Majlish voiced their opposition to the planned UN office.
Mawlana Jalaluddin Ahmed, Secretary General of Khelafat Majlish, warned that “the government will be forced to reverse its decision at any cost.”
Opposition to the initiative was also expressed earlier, on 11 July, by groups including Hefazat-e-Islam and Islami Andolan Bangladesh. Hefazat’s Joint Secretary General, Maulana Mamunul Haque, described the move as a failure to deliver justice for victims of state violence over the past 16 years.
“Welcoming foreign agencies before addressing past extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and political murders signals impunity for perpetrators,” he said.
“No one gave the government the mandate to invite foreign intervention. We will resist the establishment of a human rights office in Dhaka.”
The opening of the OHCHR mission follows growing engagement between the UN and Bangladesh, particularly after the international body launched a fact-finding investigation into last year’s mass protests and allegations of state repression.
UN High Commissioner Volker Türk described the signing of the MoU as a “strong message of commitment to human rights during Bangladesh’s political transition.”
He added that the office would help implement recommendations made in the UN’s February fact-finding report and support fundamental reforms.
According to the OHCHR, the Dhaka mission will offer technical assistance, training, and capacity-building for government institutions and civil society actors.
Its mandate will include monitoring and analysing the human rights situation, engaging with authorities and communities, and offering expert guidance on human rights reforms.
Before establishing a country office, the OHCHR typically negotiates a comprehensive mandate with the host government, which includes provisions for monitoring, technical cooperation, and public reporting.
Bangladesh will join 18 countries currently hosting stand-alone or country offices of the OHCHR, including Ukraine, Mexico, Sudan, and Tunisia.
The establishment of the office follows the UN’s February 2025 report which documented grave human rights violations during student-led protests in July-August 2024 against the previous government.
The report alleges widespread abuses by law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and elements affiliated with the former ruling Awami League.
The UN estimated that between 15 July and 5 August, as many as 1,400 people may have been killed, with thousands more injured-most by gunfire from security forces. An estimated 12 to 13 percent of those killed were reportedly children. The Bangladesh Police also reported 44 officer fatalities during the unrest.
The report recommended sweeping reforms of the security and justice sectors, the repeal of laws used to suppress dissent, and broader political and economic reforms.
Foreign ministry sources have confirmed that the MoU allows for the initial three-year mandate to be extended upon request by the host government.
