Nahid seeks UN assistance for probe into rights violations during uprising

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam has sought the assistance of the United Nations (UN) for a proper investigation into human rights violations during the recent student-people movement.

He made the call when a delegation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights led by its Asia-Pacific Region chief Rory Mungoven paid a joint courtesy call on Nahid and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain in the Youth and Sports Ministry office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday, says a press release.

Nahid, also posts, telecommunications and information technology adviser, said: "We have achieved our independence through many sacrifices with the support of people from all walks of life".

This uprising has created some commitments toward the people of the country, he said: "We are working for fulfilling those promises."

Simultaneously, efforts are being made to maintain national unity by upholding the spirit of the mass uprising, Nahid said.

He said the interim government is giving priority to three key areas - reforming the state structure, providing rehabilitation and long-term benefits to the families of those injured or killed in the movement, and ensuring justice through proper investigations against those involved in the killings during the movement.

"We are grateful to the UN and human rights organizations for standing beside us throughout the time of movement. We had previously informed them about the previous government's plan of carrying out a crackdown (on the demonstrators), which was later proved," Nahid said.

He added: "We through a proper investigation under the UN want to inform the whole world about what happened in Bangladesh during this movement. The global community should know how brutal the previous Awami League government was towards the protesting students and the people".

Source: BSS