NEW DELHI: At the invitation of the interim government in Bangladesh, a UN fact-finding team is inviting submissions from the general public to conduct an investigation into alleged human rights violations in the country. According to estimates, nearly 1000 people have lost their lives across the country since the standoff began between students and the government.
The inquiry will be conducted for the period from July 1 to August 15, so it's primarily for the duration when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was still in power. She left on August 5 for India while the interim government was formed on August 8.
"There is a deluge of people across Bangladesh who will be sending their submissions to the UN. We would like to believe that this team will be objective in the report they eventually submit," said a source from Dhaka.
"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," said an advisory issued by the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh on behalf of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday.
Individuals, groups and organizations have been invited to provide first-hand information that is not already on social media or otherwise in the public domain on human rights violations and abuses in the context of the protests during that period.
"The team also plans to conduct interviews with victims, law enforcement officers, medical practitioners, and witnesses. The fact-finding is not a criminal investigation and is conducted independently of any national criminal justice process," the advisory added.
The process of finding facts would be strictly confidential and the team will not be conducting any media interviews during the investigation.
"We appeal for respect for the confidentiality of the fact-finding process," the advisory adds.
After its on-site examination, the UN Human Rights Office will publish a detailed human rights report containing key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
