U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. File
| Photo Credit: AP
“The United Nations (UN) had warned Bangladesh Army that it would be banned from the UN peacekeeping missions if it got involved in violence during the July-August 2024 students’ protests,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk has said.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement or Students against Discrimination (SAD) led mass protests over several weeks leading to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina‘s more than 15 years of rule on August 5 last year. Three days later, Muhammd Yunus assumed charge as the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government.
How Bangladesh student protests ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Mr. Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was on BBC’s HARDtalk programme on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) when he cited Bangladesh as an example where UN intervention had an impact when the interviewer pointed out that the UN often appeared powerless in resolving crises under international law.
“I’ll give you the example of Bangladesh last year. During July, August, you know, there were massive demonstrations of students. They had enough of the previous government under Sheikh Hasina,” Mr. Turk was quoted by Dhaka Tribune as saying on Friday (March 7, 2025.)
“There was massive repression happening. The big hope for them was actually our voice, was my voice, was also what we were able to do. And we put the spotlight on the situation. And we actually gave the warning to the Army that if they get involved, it means that they may not be able to be a troop-contributing country anymore. As a result, we saw changes,” Mr. Turk said.
After taking over as the Chief Advisor, Mr. Yunus immediately asked if Mr. Turk can send a fact-finding mission “to put the spotlight on the situation and to investigate what was happening, which is what we did. And it actually helped,” he said.
“I was in Bangladesh last year. The students were so grateful for us taking a stand and for us speaking out and for supporting them,” the newspaper quoted Mr. Turk as saying.
A fact-finding report by Mr. Turk’s team released in February covered the period from July 1 to August 15 during the violent agitation by protesting students demanding Ms. Hasina’s ouster, followed by days of attacks on Awami League supporters and minorities, including Hindus.
It estimated that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed, scores of them minorities, including Hindus, between July 1 and August 5 last year, and thousands injured.
Published – March 08, 2025 11:45 am IST
