UN team arrives in Bangladesh to discuss human rights probe
UN team meets interim government for human rights investigation talks
A United Nations (UN) team arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday to discuss the framework for investigating human rights abuses during the violence before the Sheikh Hasina government fell. Led by Rory Mungoven, chief of the Asia-Pacific Section at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the small team will hold initial discussions to support the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Mungoven described the visit as exploratory, aimed at engaging with the interim government, advisers, ministries, and civil society. The goal is to understand Bangladeshi priorities during the eight-day visit, organised in response to a request from the interim government. Discussions will address the investigation’s modalities, potential UN collaboration with the interim government, and support for Bangladesh’s national process, Mungoven stated after meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk had called Yunus on August 14, announcing a forthcoming UN-led investigation into the killing of protesters during the “students’ revolution.” Turk mentioned that a team of UN experts would visit Bangladesh to establish the investigation.
Mungoven assured Bangladesh of comprehensive support, including for the fact-finding mission, and expressed his team’s intent to explore ways the UN can assist the country at this time. Sources indicated the team would meet members of the interim government and civil society to gather information.
A statement from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Bangladesh confirmed the team’s visit to Dhaka from August 22-29 for preliminary discussions with the interim government and other stakeholders. The visit aims to understand their priorities for promoting human rights. The statement emphasised that the visit is not an investigation but will focus on discussing the process for investigating human rights violations linked to recent violence and unrest.
Once details are finalised, a separate fact-finding team will be dispatched to Bangladesh in the coming weeks to conduct the investigation. The interim government has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the UN team to ensure a fair and impartial investigation.
What Other Media Are Saying
- AA reports that a UN human rights team has arrived in Bangladesh to discuss the process of investigating human rights violations with the transitional setup, focusing on recent violence and unrest.(read more)
- Deccan Herald reports that a UN team is arriving in Bangladesh to set a framework for a fact-finding mission investigating the deaths of at least 650 protesters.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Why did the UN team visit Bangladesh?
To discuss modalities for investigating human rights abuses during violence before the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Who is leading the UN team in Bangladesh?
Rory Mungoven, chief of the Asia-Pacific Section of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Is the UN team conducting an investigation during this visit?
No, the visit is for preliminary discussions, not the actual investigation.
What did UN human rights chief Volker Turk communicate to Muhammad Yunus?
He said a UN-led investigation would soon probe the killing of protesters during the ‘students’ revolution’.
What is the interim government’s stance on the UN investigation?
The interim government is ready to cooperate with the UN team for a fair and impartial investigation.
