Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said on Wednesday that Bangladesh neither gave its approval or disapproval to the UN regarding the opening of an office of the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) in Dhaka.
"We are looking into the needs of such an office in Bangladesh," he added.
He was replying to a question from the journalists at the Foreign Ministry following a meeting with the visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
He said there was no formal proposal from the UN regarding opening its office in Dhaka, but "Discussion has taken place". "We are yet to decide … there was only a discussion … we are reviewing the matter," he told reporters.
"There was a discussion only and there has been no formal or written proposal (from the UN). But we are scrutinising this," he told reporters.
Responding to a question, Adviser Touhid said the UN team might take a month to submit its report on human rights violations committed from July 1 to August 15.
The UN rights chief received an official invitation from the Chief Adviser to conduct an impartial and independent fact-finding mission into human rights violations committed during the period.
The UN office deployed a fact-finding team to Bangladesh, with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analysing root causes and making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms.
Volker Turk made a phone call to Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in August.
During his recent visit to New York, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus sought support from foreign friends for Bangladesh's new journey towards a happy and prosperous future, stressing that they do not want to miss the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh.
As part of an ongoing engagement with the interim government, an advance team of the UN rights body visited Bangladesh from August 22-29 and met student leaders of the recent protests, as well as a wide range of advisers in the Interim Government, the Chief Justice, senior officers of the police and armed forces, lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders, representatives of political parties, and minority and indigenous communities.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid said the United Nations Human Rights office will set up an office in Dhaka soon.
She said that if the office is set up, the UN Human Rights office will be able to directly investigate human rights violations in Bangladesh.
