Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the Bangladesh Interim Government, addressed a special event organized by the United Nations on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) to mark the first anniversary of the ‘July Uprising’, considered a significant chapter in the country’s history. Speaking at the event held at the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital, he said, “On this day last year, thousands of people—especially the young generation—stood up against tyranny and restored the country’s honor and future.”
In his speech, Professor Yunus praised the role of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (OHCHR) in investigating human rights violations that occurred between July 1 and August 15, 2024. He said, “This impartial investigation report was essential not only for justice but also for ethnic healing.”
He noted that a fact-finding report published in February 2025 found that at least 1,400 people were killed during that period. The report described the violence as “pre-planned, organized and directed from the highest levels of the previous government.” Investigative reports by the BBC and Al Jazeera also confirmed this claim.
The principal advisor said that the government has already taken several important steps to prevent the recurrence of human rights violations. These include amending the Criminal Procedure Code, signing an international treaty to prevent enforced disappearances, and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UN Human Rights Commission to launch a cooperation mission. The mission will provide technical assistance and capacity-building to the government, local authorities and civil society.
Recalling UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ visit to Bangladesh in March 2025, he said, “The United Nations was our strongest ally during Bangladesh’s darkest hour. I express my sincere gratitude to UN High Commissioner Volker Turk, members of the Fact-Finding Team, Resident Coordinator Gwynne Lewis, and Human Rights Adviser Huma Khan.”
He added, “We are now working to ensure participatory and acceptable elections based on a new political consensus, so that no government can use state power against the people in the future.”
Professor Yunus paid tribute to the martyrs in the final part of his speech, saying, “Their sacrifice has created a new Bangladesh for us—a Bangladesh where there is a ray of hope, human rights, and a revival of democracy.”
In addition to representatives of the United Nations and international human rights organizations, the event was attended by diplomats, researchers, and members of civil society.
