UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is set to visit Bangladesh from Tuesday to Wednesday, where he will hold a number of meetings with senior officials, civil society representatives and students who participated in recent protests.
During his visit, the UN human rights chief is due to meet with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, advisers for different ministries, the chief justice, the army chief and the heads of several reform commissions, the UN office in Dhaka said on Monday.
Türk will also make an address at the University of Dhaka, where he will meet with students involved in recent protests.
He will hold meetings with UN agencies and members of diplomatic missions in Bangladesh.
The high commissioner will hold a news conference in Dhaka at the end of his mission on Wednesday.
Human rights issues came to the forefront following the protests in July and August, which resulted in hundreds of protesters being killed and thousands sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has already deployed a fact-finding team to Bangladesh, with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during protests, analyzing the root causes, making recommendations to advance justice and accountability, and for longer-term reforms.
Dr Yunus invited the chief of the UN Human Rights Office to visit Bangladesh and assist with his planned reforms agenda.
To assist, the Human Rights Office needs to have an office in Bangladesh, and to open that office, it has to sign a host country agreement. It has already shared a draft agreement text with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
