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Volker T眉rk | File photo

Presenting the fact-finding report in Geneva in Switzerland on human rights violations and abuses related to the protests of the July-August student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh, United Nations鈥� high commissioner for Human Rights, Volker T眉rk, on Wednesday said that accountability was absolutely the key.

He, emphasising on future stability and protection of human rights, said that it was a huge chance for the country at this pivotal time to deal with its past and overcome its past to reach a moment of healing and truth telling and that included each and everyone within the society of Bangladesh.


Whatever differences are there, Volker T眉rk stressed that it was 鈥榦ne country and one citizenship鈥� and it was a unique opportunity for each and every citizen of Bangladesh.

T眉rk engaged in dialogue with member states and civil society on the findings and recommendations with a view to promoting accountability, justice, and human rights reforms in Bangladesh.

The interim government and civil society representatives from Bangladesh also participated in the event.

Referring to his first telephone conversation with chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, Turk said that Yunus told him human rights is at the centre of the reforms and transition. 鈥極f course, this is hard work, no doubt about that. This is not easy.鈥�

That was the right spirit and they all need to grasp the opportunity and support the opportunity towards transition, the UN human rights chief said.

Responding to a question, law adviser Asif Nazrul, who was present at the event, said that there had been some incidents of political violence against the 鈥榯orturers, hooligans of the Awami League regime鈥�, who oppressed and tortured people for many years.

He said that there were some incidents where people who were deeply involved with the AL regime were attacked. 鈥榃e strongly condemned that.鈥�

Asif Nazrul, however, said that most of them belong to the Muslim community and very few people belong to the minority groups.

In his concluding remarks, Turk said that it was fact that the interim government fully cooperated with them when they deployed their team very quickly at the request of the government. 鈥榃e will continue to find ways to keep the Human Rights Council informed.鈥�

鈥業t will be crucial to ensure due process in criminal cases and investigate revenge violence, including against minorities,鈥� Turk said while sharing a global update at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva recently.

In the past year, Bangladesh experienced a paroxysm of violence as the government of that time 鈥榖rutally suppressed鈥� a student movement that carried human rights as its torch, Turk mentioned.

鈥楾he country is now charting a new future,鈥� he said, adding that their recent independent fact-finding report on the human rights violations that took place was an 鈥榠mportant contribution鈥� to this journey.