New Delhi: In a significant move, a team of United Nations experts is set to arrive in Bangladesh next week to investigate the violent suppression of mass protests that led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This development, announced on Thursday, marks the first time since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 that the UN has sent a fact-finding mission to the country to investigate widespread human rights abuses.
The decision follows a tumultuous period in Bangladesh’s history. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina’s government collapsed amid fierce anti-government protests centered around controversial quota reforms in government jobs. The protests, which had been building since mid-July, resulted in over 500 deaths and eventually forced Hasina to flee to India. Days later, on August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the Chief Adviser of an interim government, tasked with steering the nation through its most severe crisis in decades.
The UN’s decision to send a fact-finding team was confirmed by Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during a phone call with Yunus late Wednesday. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Yunus expressed his gratitude towards Turk and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for their support during what he described as the “unprecedented and devastating killings” of student protesters.
“The United Nations is committed to investigating the atrocities committed during the Student Revolution of July and early August,” Yunus stated, adding that human rights will be the cornerstone of his interim administration.
Bangladesh plunged into chaos following Hasina’s departure, with the military stepping in to fill the power vacuum. The situation has been described as the most severe since the country’s independence, with the UN now poised to play a critical role in investigating the events that led to this crisis.
In a show of solidarity, Volker Turk reassured Yunus of the UN’s support for Bangladesh during this critical transition. “An inclusive, human rights-centered approach will ensure this transition succeeds,” Turk emphasized in his post on X.
As the situation continues to unfold, a complaint has already been filed with Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal against Sheikh Hasina and eight others. They stand accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity during the student-led mass movement against her government.
This UN-led investigation is expected to shed light on the extent of the violence and human rights violations that have shaken Bangladesh to its core, as the international community watches closely.
