UN to Send Fact-Finding Mission to Bangladesh

• 31 Aug 2024

On 30th August, 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Office announced it will send a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh to investigate human rights violations following recent deadly violence in the country.

• The mission was requested by Bangladesh's interim government to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during the unrest.
• Last month’s anti-government protests, initially led by students against public sector job quotas, escalated into the deadliest violence since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
• The violence resulted in over 1,000 deaths and forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India on August 5.
• An interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, took over and helped calm the situation while security forces cracked down on ongoing protests.
• The UN's fact-finding team will report on the violations and abuses during the protests, analyze root causes, and make recommendations for justice, accountability, and long-term reforms.
• The decision follows a visit by a UN team from August 22-29, during which they met with various stakeholders, including members of the interim government.