Staff Correspondent
The UN Human Rights fact-finding team, scheduled to visit Bangladesh, will make recommendations
aimed at advancing justice, accountability, and longer-term reforms, according to a spokesperson for
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"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, analyzing root causes and, and making
recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms," said
spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani in a statement.
The statement said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has received an official
invitation from Bangladesh interim government Chief Advisor Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus to
conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed from
July 1 to August 15.
The team received commitments from the Interim Government and security forces for full cooperation
in this work, it added.
The spokesperson made the statement after conclusion of a weeklong visit by a UN advance team that
discussed the modalities of the investigation.
"An advance team has been in the country (Bangladesh) over the last week (from 22-29 August) 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," read the statement.
In its meetings, it said, the UN advance 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
Bangladesh's Interim Government.
"It (the team) 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," said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson also said, the High Commissioner warmly welcomed 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.
Shamdasani 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.
"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 statement.
