Former Bangladesh Foreign Minister Urges UN to Investigate OHCHR’s 2024 Protest Report

Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, has written to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report on Bangladesh’s 2024 protest-related violence.

In a strongly worded letter dated 20 October 2025, Dr. Momen expressed deep concern over what he described as “factual inconsistencies” and “partial narratives” in the OHCHR’s fact-finding report, published on 12 February 2025, regarding the July–August 2024 protests in Bangladesh.

According to the former minister, the OHCHR report “inexplicably inflated casualty figures”, citing 1,400 deaths, despite earlier UN estimates and Bangladeshi media reports suggesting the number ranged between 650 and 824 fatalities.

He alleged that the UN’s human rights office relied on unverified sources and ignored critical evidence, including the killing of over 3,000 police officers, attacks on public property, and the release of convicted extremists during the unrest.

“Such inconsistencies erode confidence in the UN’s credibility and undermine the very principles of truth and justice it stands for,” Dr. Momen wrote in his letter to the UN chief.

Momen also accused the OHCHR of overlooking what he termed “state-backed violence” by non-state actors during the protests. He said that while the report targeted decorated military officers—many of whom served under the UN peacekeeping banner—it failed to hold accountable those responsible for inciting or carrying out the violence.

He further claimed that based on the OHCHR’s report, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal had recommended the arrest of 25 senior military officers, a move he described as “politically motivated” and “without due process.”

“While accountability and justice are essential, fairness, accuracy, and impartiality must prevail,” Momen emphasized.
“This flawed report has emboldened an unelected regime and pushed Bangladesh toward humanitarian and economic collapse.”

The former foreign minister alleged that the report had indirectly legitimized an “unelected regime,” worsening political instability and human rights violations. He warned that the country is now facing a crisis of governance, rising mob violence, extrajudicial killings, and a growing exodus of citizens seeking refuge in Europe.

Calling the OHCHR report “a serious breach of UN standards,” Momen urged the Secretary-General to commission a full, transparent, and independent inquiry to “restore confidence in the UN’s integrity” and ensure justice for genuine victims.

Dr. Momen, who served as Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister from January 2019 to January 2024, and as the Permanent Representative to the UN from 2009 to 2015, concluded his letter by reaffirming his “deep respect” for the UN chief’s leadership and the institution’s founding principles.

As of now, the OHCHR has not publicly responded to Dr. Momen’s allegations.