UN team in city to discuss modalities of probe

A three-member UN team arrived in Dhaka on Thursday to discuss the modalities of a UN investigation into the killings and atrocities that occurred during the student protests.
"I'm visiting with a small team this week to hold some preliminary, exploratory discussions with the government about how our office can support the interim government and people of Bangladesh at this historic time," said Rory Mungoven, head of the team.
Mr Mungoven, who is also the chief of the Asia Pacific region at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, told reporters at the foreign ministry that his mission will help explore ways in which the UN can support Bangladesh at this time.
Regarding his team's responsibility, he said, "It is not an investigation, it's really an exploratory visit to discuss with the interim government, with the advisers, with some of the ministries, with the civil society and with a broad section of Bangladesh society, to hear your priorities, your needs and explore some areas where the Office of the High Commissioner could assist, including in the area of fact-finding investigation."
He said his team would discuss the modalities and how they could support the investigation processes going forward. "So it's really too early to conclude," he said when asked about the timeline.
Mr Mungoven informed that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk is truly inspired by the courage and commitment to democracy and human rights of the Bangladesh people, particularly the students and the youth.

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