United News of Bangladesh

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is set to establish an office in Bangladesh, primarily for three years, in an effort to strengthen cooperation in dealing with human rights issues. “There has been remarkable progress on the discussion (between the interim government and the UN Human Rights Office). The Council of Advisers, in principle, approved the draft MoU today (Sunday),” Law Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy. While briefing reporters on the outcomes of the meeting, the Adviser said the office will be established in Bangladesh primarily for three years. If the two sides think that it is necessary to renew, the renewal of the MoU can be considered, he added. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was also present at the media briefing.  The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. Acting British high commissioner meets Fakhrul The Law Adviser said they – a few advisers - will further examine the draft MoU and the final text of the draft MoU will be sent to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. Once they (UN side) agree, Asif Nazrul said, they hope to sign the MoU as soon as possible and based on the signed MoU, an office will be established here. The Law Adviser hoped that Bangladesh’s local agencies which are dealing with the human rights issues, together with the UN office, will play an important role if there is any case of severe human rights violation in the country. A milestone was the interim government’s invitation to the OHCHR for an independent fact-finding mission following the July–August unrest. The UN Fact-Finding Mission last year submitted a report on the human rights violations highlighting the events of July and August last year. The report said about 1400 people were killed during the July-August uprising and in the aftermath. The UN Human Rights Office will soon establish an office in Bangladesh to support the country that is going through reforms in various sectors including political, bureaucratic, police and judicial sectors.  "We understand from the government that a MoU is finalised. We are waiting to sign it soon. That means we will be able to open an Office of the Human Commissioner for Human Rights soon to support a lot of processes that are underway," said United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis on June 4. Since becoming a member of the United Nations in 1974, Bangladesh has consistently demonstrated strong support for peace and international cooperation.

Welcoming the report by the UN Human Rights Office, Chief Adviser Prof  Muhammad Yunus has reiterated the interim government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and called on all members of Bangladesh’s justice system, including the police, prosecutors and judges, to do the same. “I, along with everyone else working in the interim government and millions of other Bangladeshis, am committed to transforming Bangladesh into a country in which all its people can live in security and dignity,” he said on Wednesday. The interim government thanked the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for undertaking the “most thorough independent investigation” to date of the events in Bangladesh in July and August that ended the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. As the report notes, the long years of the Hasina regime have left Bangladesh with ‘structural deficiencies’ in the law enforcement and justice sectors, said the Chief Adviser. Chief Adviser to visit Aynaghar soon The reform of these institutions is crucial to Bangladesh’s transformation into a society where its entire people can live in security and dignity, he said. “I call on everyone working inside these institutions to side with justice, the law, and the people of Bangladesh in holding to account their own peers and others who have broken the law and violated the human and civil rights of their fellow citizens.” The OHCHR made its investigation at the invitation of Bangladesh’s interim government. Its report identified extensive and grave human rights violations, including alleged extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and disproportionate use of force by the Sheikh Hasina-led government and elements associated with the Awami League, as well as a broader array of security and intelligence agencies. Based on deaths reported by various credible sources, the report estimated that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed between 1 July and 15 August, and thousands were injured, the vast majority of whom were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces.  CA Dr Yunus to visit 'Aynaghar' soon Of these, the report indicated that as many as 12-13 percent of those killed were children. Bangladesh Police reported that 44 of its officers were killed.  

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday raised the issue of “inaccurate” and “inconsistent” statements made by the UN human rights office on Bangladesh with UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Gwyn Lewis. “They get information from the biased and wrong sources. We discussed the issue so that it does not happen,” he told reporters after his meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not a good time for Rohingya repatriation, UN Resident Coordinator says The foreign minister said the events that unfolded since October 28 and BNP’s arson attacks and killing people did not feature in the reports made by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “I told her about this. She said she is looking into it,” Hasan, also Bangladesh Awami League joint general secretary said. The foreign minister also referred to UN Secretary General’s letter of congratulations to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and his meeting with the UN chief in Uganda recently. China working with Myanmar on ceasefire in Rakhine: Ambassador Yao United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for championing a number of UN-led global processes and commended her leadership. During the meeting with FM Hasan, the secretary general congratulated Hasina and appreciated Bangladesh's vital role in the call for reforming global financial architecture. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, earlier, said unfortunately, the OHCHR may have fallen for BNP’s misinformation campaign. Bangladesh Air Force chief departs for Morocco The government expects that the OHCHR will rectify its 31-October press briefing note based on facts. If the OHCHR's statements are not highly objective, the Office will lose people's support, acceptability and credibility, the ministry said.

UN's top human rights official Michelle Bachelet has called for transparent investigation into the death in custody of a writer in Bangladesh and review of the Digital Security Act, under which he was charged.

The Government of Myanmar should embrace upcoming national elections, scheduled for November, as an opportunity to take a new and fully inclusive democratic path, and to address the root of causes of abuses suffered by ethnic minorities, a UN human rights office (OHCHR) has urged.