¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·

United Nations high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk on Monday said that the shocking violence in Bangladesh must stop while the British prime minister Keir Starmer underlined the need for ensuring that democracy prevails in the country after the country’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amid mass uprising led by student protesters on the day. 

Meanwhile, the European Union in a statement said that it was closely monitoring the events unfolding in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended her 15 years in power, and followed weeks of violent protests and clashes with security forces, British online newspaper The Independent reported on the day.

‘I appeal urgently to the political leadership and to the security forces to abide by their obligations to protect the right to life, and the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression,’ United News of Bangladesh reported quoting Volker Turk as saying in a statement.

In his statement, the UN human rights chief said that ‘accountability’ for human rights violations, including for those with superior and command responsibility, was crucial.

The British prime minister’s official spokesperson said that prime minister Keir Starmer was ‘deeply saddened by the violence we’ve seen in Bangladesh in recent weeks’.

‘It’s obviously escalated in recent days. A very significant loss of life, including of students, children and law enforcement officers is completely unacceptable,’ the spokesperson said quoting the British prime minister as saying.

The right to peaceful protest must be protected and never subjected to violence, and we call on the authorities to release all peaceful protesters and ensure due process is followed for those charged and prosecuted, he said.

Protesters stormed Hasina’s official residence Ganabhaban after demonstrators defied a military curfew to march in the capital Dhaka.

The government’s attempts to quell the demonstrations with force, curfews and internet shutdowns backfired, prompting further outrage as nearly 300 people were killed leading to demands for Hasina’s resignation, the newspaper reported.

‘Following the address to the nation by Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the EU calls for calm and restraint. It is vital that an orderly and peaceful transition towards a democratically elected government is ensured, in full respect to human rights and democratic principles,’ said the EU statement shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

It said that the EU was saddened by the tragic loss of life during the protests in recent days.

‘We take note of the assurances given by General Waker-Uz-Zaman that the situation will be handled in a peaceful manner, and that all unlawful killings will be impartially investigated. Accountability for human rights violations is crucial. Those who have been arbitrarily detained should be released immediately,’ the statement said.

The UN high commissioner Volker Turk mentioned that scores more protesters were killed over the weekend. 

‘With a mass march on Dhaka planned for Monday, Turk said that he was deeply worried that there would be further loss of life and wider destruction.

The international community must make it clear that at this pivotal time, there would be no impunity, he said.

‘The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue,’ Turk said.