The interim government on Saturday said the UN Human Rights Office’s mission in Bangladesh will focus on addressing and preventing serious human rights abuses, such as those perpetrated by the previous government, and ensuring accountability for violations.
“It will not serve to promote any social agenda that falls outside the country’s established legal, social and cultural framework,” the government said in a statement, acknowledging that some groups in Bangladesh have expressed ’concerns’ about the perceived ideological orientation of UN human rights bodies.
The statement issued by the Chief Adviser’ press wing said Bangladesh is a society grounded in strong cultural and religious traditions. “We have received feedback from citizens who have said that any international partnership should be respectful of these values.”
The government of Bangladesh signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to field a mission in the country aimed at supporting the promotion and protection of human rights.
The purpose of the mission is to provide training and technical assistance to government institutions and civil society organisations.
Its objective is to help Bangladesh fulfill its national and international human rights obligations through capacity-building, legal support and institutional strengthening, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing.
“This initiative reflects our continuing commitment to reform and accountability, particularly in response to serious human rights violations that occurred during July–August 2024,” said a media release issued by the press wing.
The government expects that the mission will always demonstrate transparency and maintain close cooperation with local stakeholders.
The UN has committed to operating in full respect of Bangladesh’s cultural and religious reality, the media release said.
The government retains the sovereign right to withdraw from the agreement if it determines that the partnership no longer serves the national interest.
UN rights office to open mission in Bangladesh; MoU signed
“It is worth noting that if such an office had existed during the previous administration when extrajudicial killings and public massacres occurred with impunity, many of those crimes might have been properly investigated, documented and prosecuted,” the statement said.
“Our commitment to human rights today must be rooted in justice, not ideology. The government considers this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen our institutions and enhance protections for our citizens, guided by our values, shaped by our laws and accountable to our people,” it added.
The memorandum was signed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Asad Alam Siam, Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, said the UN rights office on Friday in a press statement issued from Geneva.
“The signing of this memorandum sends an important message of the country’s commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of the transition,” said Türk.
He said it will enable his office to better support implementation of the recommendations made in their fact-finding report, as well as to engage directly on the ground with the government, civil society and others with their expertise and assistance on the fundamental reforms Bangladesh is undertaking going forward.
Since last August, the UN Human Rights Office’s engagement with Bangladesh has significantly increased.
The office has been working with various stakeholders in advancing human rights reforms and conducting a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry into deadly repression of mass protests.