Issue of enforced disappearances has long, painful history in Bangladesh: UN

The United Nations has 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," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said today (30 August).

The UN Human Rights Office is eager to assist the interim government and the people of Bangladesh at this crucial time to strengthen democracy, seek accountability, foster reconciliation, and advance human rights.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights 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

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

The spokesperson said the office will deploy a fact-finding team to Bangladesh in the coming weeks to report on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analyse root causes, and make 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.

An advance team has been in the country 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.

In its meetings, the team discussed the modalities for investigating human rights violations and abuses in the context of the recent violence and unrest, as requested by the Interim Government.

It 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 their Office could provide sustained support, said the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.