UN rights mission won’t promote foreign agendas, will focus on past abuses: Govt

The UN human rights mission in Dhaka will not serve to promote any social agenda that falls outside the country’s established legal, social and cultural framework, the Interim Government said on Saturday.

In a press release, the government acknowledged that “some groups in Bangladesh have expressed concerns about the perceived ideological orientation of UN human rights bodies,” adding that “any international partnership should be respectful” of the country’s religious and cultural values.

Signed earlier this week, the three-year Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Bangladesh and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) paves the way for a new mission to operate in Dhaka, with a focus on training, technical assistance, and support for ongoing human rights reforms.

According to the statement, the OHCHR mission will concentrate on “addressing and preventing serious human rights abuses, such as those perpetrated by the previous government,” and “ensuring accountability for violations.”

It emphasized that the mission’s activities will be confined to helping Bangladesh meet its national and international human rights obligations, including capacity-building for state institutions and civil society actors.

“The UN has committed to operating in full respect of Bangladesh’s cultural and religious reality,” the statement added.

The government further noted that it retains the sovereign authority to withdraw from the agreement should the mission deviate from its stated purpose or no longer align with national interests.

The government also pointed out that had such an office existed during the tenure of the previous administration—when widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and violent crackdowns on dissent went unaddressed—many of those crimes might have been properly investigated, documented, and prosecuted.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to reform and accountability,” the statement said. “Our approach to human rights is guided by our values, shaped by our laws, and accountable to our people—not by any external ideology.”

The OHCHR mission’s arrival follows months of engagement between the UN and Bangladesh authorities, particularly after the deadly crackdown on mass protests in July–August 2024, which led to the ouster of the former Awami League government.

The new mission is expected to play a key role in supporting the country’s ongoing transition and strengthening protections for citizens through legal and institutional reform.