TDS Desk:

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has received an official invitation from Chief Advisor, Muhammad Yunus, to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed from 1 July to 15 August in Bangladesh.

Responding to the call, the UN 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 making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms.

The team received commitments from the Interim Government and security forces for full cooperation in this work, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani said during a press conference held in Geneva in Switzerland on Friday.

The High Commissioner warmly welcomes the announcement of Bangladesh’s accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and the establishment of a five-member national commission of inquiry to determine the whereabouts of individuals forcibly disappeared allegedly by law enforcement agencies, she said.

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, according to Shamdasani.

“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,” she said.

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, said the UN official.