The United Nations has presented a fact-finding report in Geneva on human rights violations and acts of repression linked to the student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh during July-August 2024.
On Wednesday (March 5), after 6 PM Bangladesh time, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presented the report.
The event is being broadcast live on the UN's YouTube channel from Geneva.
While delivering a global update at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Türk emphasized the importance of ensuring due process in criminal cases and investigating retaliatory violence against minorities.
He stated that Bangladesh faced a severe crisis due to the violence last year, accusing the former government of "brutally suppressing" the student movement, resulting in serious human rights violations.
Türk further remarked that the country is now planning for a new future, and their recent independent fact-finding report will make a "significant contribution" in this regard.
Earlier, on March 2, during a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna, UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis stated that, in addition to presenting the report, the UN fact-finding team would engage in discussions with member states and various organizations regarding accountability, justice, and human rights in Bangladesh.
On March 3, Volker Türk expressed hope that their recent independent fact-finding report, which presents the real and factual situation in Bangladesh, will support accountability, compensation, and efforts for reform and recovery.
Previously, on February 12, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released an investigative report from its Geneva office titled "Human Rights Violations and Repression Related to the July-August 2024 Movement in Bangladesh."
The report highlights numerous human rights violations that occurred in Bangladesh during the July-August student uprising.
According to the report, approximately 1,400 people were killed during the protests, most of them shot with military rifles and lethal metal-pellet-loaded shotguns.
These types of shotguns are typically used by Bangladesh's security forces. Thousands of others were seriously injured during the protests, with some suffering permanent disabilities.
