Bangladesh has formally asked the UN for assistance in conducting investigations into human rights abuses that occurred between July 1 and August 15, during the quota reform campaign, and during the student rebellion.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has received an official invitation from Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, to lead an unbiased and autonomous fact-finding investigation into occurrences.
At a news conference on Friday in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told the journalists this information.She told the briefing, “UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has received an official invitation from the Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed from 1 July to 15 August.”
“The Office will deploy a fact-finding team to Bangladesh in the coming weeks, with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analysing root causes and, and making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms,” she added.
The team received commitments from the interim government and security forces for full cooperation in this work, she stated.
The media was also told that an advance team was in the country over the last week (22-29 August). It had meeting with student leaders of the recent protests, many of whom have been detained or injured in recent weeks, as well as a wide range of advisors in the interim government, the chief justice, senior officers of the police and armed forces, lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders, representatives of political parties, and minority and indigenous communities.
In its meetings, the team discussed the modalities for an investigation into human rights violations and abuses in the context of the recent violence and unrest, as requested by the interim government, the press briefing notes said.
“It also discussed wider areas – including civic space, the need for truth, justice, healing, reparation and reconciliation, and other human rights approaches to the reform process – in which our Office could provide sustained support.”
The news that Bangladesh has joined the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was enthusiastically greeted by Volker Türk.
In addition, he applauded the creation of a five-person nationwide committee of investigation to find the whereabouts of people who were reportedly forcibly vanished by police authorities.
Ravina Shamdasani told the briefing that the issue of enforced disappearances has a long and painful history in Bangladesh, on which the UN Human Rights Office and UN human rights mechanisms have advocated robustly. “We stand ready to support the Commission in its work, which should be 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 UN Human Rights Office looks forward to supporting the interim government and people of Bangladesh at this pivotal moment to revitalise democracy, seek accountability and reconciliation, and advance human rights for all the people in Bangladesh,” she reiterated.
