Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government, has said that it will be difficult to ensure justice if all the atrocities committed during Sheikh Hasina's rule are not properly documented.
He said this while meeting the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office's Senior Human Rights Adviser, Huma Khan, at the Jamuna State Guest House on Sunday (March 2).
During the meeting, he stressed the importance of properly documenting all the atrocities committed during Sheikh Hasina's rule. These include the crackdown on protesters at Shapla Square, police brutality against protesters after the verdict against Delwar Hossain Sayedee, and the extrajudicial killings that have occurred over the years.
The Chief Adviser said, there is a need for proper documentation of all atrocities committed against the people in this country. If these incidents are not properly documented, it will be difficult to know the correct information and ensure justice.
At that time, Resident Coordinator Lewis said, the UN is ready to provide technical assistance to properly document incidents of atrocities committed against the people and to help build the capacity of the people of Bangladesh in this regard. This is a process to prevent such incidents and establish the truth.
The Chief Adviser thanked the UN for publishing an investigative report on human rights violations and torture during the protests in July and August 2024.
He said, we are very happy that the UN has published a report on human rights violations. It was not an easy task to publish, but they have published it in a timely manner.
Lewis informed the Chief Adviser that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will brief Member States on the report at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council on March 5. He expressed hope that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' upcoming visit to Bangladesh will bring the Rohingya crisis back to global attention, especially when financial assistance is being cut.
Lewis also said, "We are very concerned about the reduction in financial assistance. Each month, the Rohingya need 15 million US dollars just to ensure food supplies, which are linked to other basic needs."
It is worth noting that UN Secretary-General Guterres will visit Bangladesh from March 13 to 16.