In a strongly worded letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh and ex-Permanent Representative to the UN, Professor Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen, has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) recent report on Bangladesh.
Dated 20 October 2025, the letter expresses grave concern over what Dr. Momen describes as “factual inconsistencies” and “partial narratives” in the OHCHR’s fact-finding report on the July–August 2024 protests in Bangladesh.
He argues that the report inflated casualty figures, overlooked key incidents of violence, and risked undermining the credibility of the UN by allegedly shielding perpetrators while targeting decorated military officers who had served in UN peacekeeping missions.
Dr. Momen warns that the report has emboldened what he terms an “unelected regime,” deepening political instability and pushing Bangladesh toward humanitarian and economic collapse.
Stressing the importance of fairness and impartiality, he urges the UN to commission a full, transparent, and independent inquiry to restore confidence in the organization’s integrity and ensure justice for genuine victims.
Below is the full text of Dr. Momen’s letter to the UN Secretary-General:
Full Letter
His Excellency António Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
20 October 2025
Subject: Urgent Appeal for an Independent Investigation into the OHCHR’s Bangladesh Report
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
I write with deep concern about the recent statements of the UN Human Rights High Commissioner on 15 October, 2025 and report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [ref: OHCHR Fact-Finding Report: Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh, published on 12 February 2025].
It has come to our attention that, based on this report, the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal has recommended to arrest 25 senior military officers, many of whom are decorated senior officers in the armed forces who have served in the UN peacekeeping missions with distinction. Your Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk has directed the Bangladesh government to arrest them and to drag them to the Kangaroo Tribunal that changes its rules and mandates every now and then without any due process.
While accountability and justice are essential, it is equally vital that the UN upholds the principles of fairness, accuracy, and impartiality. Unfortunately, the OHCHR report on Bangladesh and your High Commissioner’s actions have raised significant questions about its credibility, objectivity, and adherence to due process.
Mr. Secretary General,
The OHCHR’s recent Fact-Finding Report on the July “2024 uprising” is deeply flawed and factually inconsistent. According to Bangladesh’s leading daily newspapers, 329 people died between 16 July and 5 August, and another 328 deaths occurred between 5 and 8 August, totaling 657 fatalities. The first preliminary UN report estimated 650 deaths and it aligned with these figures. However, the OHCHR’s final report inexplicably inflated the number to 1,400 deaths, a claim based merely on ‘discussions with government officials and injured persons,’ without verifiable evidence. Even the Health Ministry under the interim Yunus administration cited 824 deaths, later found to include 52 individuals who were still alive. Moreover, 824 deaths included deaths due to traffic accidents and other normal deaths during the period. Such inconsistencies erode confidence in the UN’s credibility and undermine the very principles of truth and justice it stands for.
The OHCHR report has many weaknesses. For example, it failed to mention:
- The killing of nearly 3,200 police officers during the Uprising, some of whose bodies were displayed publicly.
- The Indemnity Decree issued by the Yunus administration, which protects perpetrators of the Uprising from prosecution.
- The termination of a large number of Supreme and High Court judges illegally.
- The death of Abu Sayeed, confirmed by autopsy to be from blunt head trauma, not gunfire.
- The total number of deaths by 7.62mm sniper bullets used by private sharpshooters and goons.
- The 7.62mm sniper ammunition, never issued to Bangladesh Police, found in the homes of known agitators.
- The release of convicted terrorists from jails by the current regime.
- Looting of weapons from jails.
- The burning of both public and private properties including Metrorail, television stations, railway lines, government buildings, etc. by hired goons.
- The intentional ignoring of public testimonies of perpetrators who admitted in national media to killings and arson.
By excluding these crucial facts, the OHCHR report presents a partial and distorted narrative that risks shielding the true perpetrators of violence while criminalising those who upheld law and order.
Mr. Secretary General,
It is distressing that an institution as respected as the OHCHR has, perhaps unintentionally, contributed to political manipulation and misinformation. This report has emboldened an unelected regime and deepened instability in a nation that, with UN support, had made remarkable progress in reducing poverty and advancing development. Today, Bangladesh stands on the brink of humanitarian, economic, and social collapse. Each day witnesses new acts of mob violence and extrajudicial killings under the current regime. Disillusioned citizens, stripped of justice and hope, and media freedom are now seeking dangerous migration routes legally and illegally to Europe, including to your own country, Portugal.
To restore confidence in the United Nations’ integrity and to honour the principles of justice it upholds, I urge your office to commission a full, transparent, and independent investigation into the OHCHR’s Bangladesh report. Only through an impartial inquiry can the truth appear, accountability be ensured, and the families of genuine victims receive the justice and recognition they deserve. Allowing inaccurate reports to dictate punitive action against innocent individuals, especially those who served under the UN flag — would be an injustice of historic proportion.
If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 516-660-3282.
With highest respect for your leadership,
Sincerely,
Professor Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen
Former Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN (2009–2015)
Former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh (January 2019 – January 2024)
