UN fact-finding team to suggest longer-term reforms in Bangladesh

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, analysing root causes and, and making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms," said spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani in a statement Friday.

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 1 July to 15 August.

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 the 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.