UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for the establishment of a strong and independent national institution to oversee Bangladesh’s security forces.
He made this call on Monday (September 7) at the UN office in Geneva, Switzerland, while presenting an updated report on the global situation during the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.
Türk stated, “We have been calling for the establishment of a strong and independent national institution for the oversight of security forces in Bangladesh.”
In the UN’s fact-finding report on the July 2024 mass uprising, recommendations included independent investigations into serious human rights violations, institutional reforms, civilian oversight, and accountability mechanisms. The UN’s recommendations also urged strengthening the National Human Rights Commission so that it can operate independently and investigate complaints against security forces.
The recommendations of UN treaty bodies specifically emphasized that the National Human Rights Commission must be granted the authority to directly investigate allegations of human rights violations against the armed forces, police, and other security forces.