UN secretary-general condemns Hadi killing, calls for impartial probe

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of Inquilab Mancha convener Osman Hadi and urged the Bangladesh authorities to conduct a swift and impartial investigation in line with international human rights standards.

The information was disclosed on Friday, December 19, during a regular briefing at the UN headquarters in New York by the secretary-general’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. He said the killing of Osman Hadi had come to the attention of the United Nations and that the secretary-general had expressed deep concern over the incident and conveyed his sincere condolences to the bereaved family.

Expressing concern over the overall situation in Bangladesh, the UN secretary-general said that in the context of rising political tensions ahead of the upcoming election, all parties must refrain from violence. He stressed the need for restraint to maintain a peaceful environment.

Earlier, the UN Human Rights Commission issued a separate statement expressing deep concern over the killing of Osman Hadi. The body called on the Bangladesh government to carry out a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation and emphasised ensuring accountability for those responsible.

In the statement issued from Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was deeply saddened by the killing of Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the student–public mass movement. He noted that Hadi died in Singapore on Thursday while undergoing treatment after being shot last week and warned that acts of retaliation would further complicate the situation.