Govt to help UN fact-finding mission if they ask: Foreign adviser

The government will help the UN fact-finding mission - set to investigate alleged human rights violations during the recent student movement and in its aftermath - if they seek any help, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said today (17 September).

"They [the UN team] want to avoid publicity as they want to work neutrally. We also want to ensure that they can work impartially. We won't interfere," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He also said the UN team had a courtesy meeting with him and conveyed to him that they would soon start their work in Bangladesh.

Hossain said the fact-finding mission that arrived in Bangladesh is yet to begin their work.

The fact-finding mission is not a criminal investigation and is conducted independently of any national criminal justice process, said the UN Human Rights Office.

The fact-finding process is strictly confidential. The team will not be conducting any media interviews during the investigation phase.

"We appeal for respect for the confidentiality of the fact-finding process," said a spokesperson at the UN Human Rights Office.

At the invitation of the interim government, a UN Human Rights Office fact-finding team is conducting an independent and impartial investigation into alleged human rights violations that took place between 1 July and 15 August this year, arising from the recent protests.

The fact-finding team is mandated to establish facts, identify responsibilities, analyze root causes, and make concrete recommendations for Bangladesh to address past human rights violations and prevent their recurrence.

Individuals, groups, and organizations are invited to provide first-hand information that is not already on social media or otherwise in the public domain concerning the period of July 1 to August 15 2024 and human rights violations and abuses in the context of the protests during that period.

Submissions should be sent to OHCHR-FFTB-Submissions@un.org.

The team also plans to conduct interviews with victims, law enforcement officers, medical practitioners, and witnesses.

After its on-site examination and data analysis, the UN Human Rights Office will publish a detailed human rights report containing key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.