The United Nations is monitoring the situation in Bangladesh “very closely” and is calling for calm and restraint in the wake of the prime minister’s assassination. resignation of sheikh hasina A spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been urged to flee the country.
“The Secretary-General condemns the further loss of life during protests in Bangladesh over the weekend. He is closely following developments in the country, including the army chief’s announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and plans to form an interim government,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said at a daily briefing.
“We will continue to appeal for calm and restraint and urge all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and expression,” Haque said, adding that the UN urges security forces to protect those walking on the streets of Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh.
Responding to a question from Press Trust of India on the situation, Haq said: “The important thing for us is that both sides remain calm and we want to emphasise the importance of a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition.”
“We stand in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh at this time and we call for full respect for their democratic and human rights. And finally, there is a need for a full, independent and impartial investigation into all acts of violence in relation to what has happened so far.”
He said the United Nations is in contact with authorities in the region, “and our country team is in contact with authorities in Bangladesh.”
“But the situation is changing very quickly right now. We’ll have to see what happens once the dust settles,” he added.
Haque said several more protesters were killed over the weekend, citing a statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Sunday who said the violence in Bangladesh must stop.
At least 13 police officers were killed when a police station was attacked in Sirajganj district.
Turk said that with massive marches planned in Dhaka on Monday, and the ruling party’s youth wing calling for protests against the protesters, he was “deeply concerned that this will lead to more deaths and widespread destruction.”
“I urgently appeal to the political leadership and security forces to abide by their obligations to protect the rights to life, peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
“The government must stop targeting peaceful participants in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create an environment for meaningful dialogue. It must immediately halt its continued attempts to suppress popular dissent, including through excessive use of force and deliberate spreading of misinformation and incitement to violence,” Turk said.
Bangladesh descended into chaos as Prime Minister Hasina secretly resigned and fled the country on a military plane, while the military stepped in to fill the power vacuum.
As news of Hasina’s departure spread, hundreds of people stormed her residence, vandalising and looting the interior, in a dramatic manifestation of anti-government protests that have killed more than 300 people in a fortnight.
The embattled Bangladeshi leader later landed at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad as part of her plan to fly to London.
Sources said National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, along with senior officials, met Hasina at an airbase near Delhi and is understood to have briefed her on India’s stand on the developments in Bangladesh.