DHAKA/NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Admits UN Logos on Vehicles Amid Unrest, Bangladesh’s admission came after nearly 150 people were killed last week in deadly violence that spread across the country during an army-enforced curfew. The oversight of leaving UN markings on vehicles was attributed to forgetfulness amidst efforts to contain the unrest.
The United Nations said it has sought a response from authorities in the capital Dhaka after footage filmed by Reuters journalists on Sunday (Jul 21) showed what appeared to be an armoured personnel vehicle marked with the letters “UN”.
The vehicle was carrying gun-bearing soldiers on a street in Dhaka, which last week saw days of deadly clashes as security forces cracked down on student-led protests against reservation quotas in government jobs.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters on Wednesday that some vehicles had been “rented to the UN peace mission”.
The students were agitating because a high court last month overturned a decision by Hasina’s government to scrap 56 per cent quotas in government jobs, reinstating them during an unemployment crisis in the country.
But the protests stopped after the Supreme Court on Sunday ruled in favour of an appeal from the government and scrapped most quotas, directing that 93 per cent of jobs should be open to competition.
The United Nations, international rights groups, the US and Britain were among those who criticised the use of force against the protesters and asked Dhaka to uphold the right to peaceful protests.
“We have raised our concern about the situation in Bangladesh with relevant authorities in Dhaka and New York and also sought clarity regarding reports that some UN-marked vehicles may have been used during recent events,” Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told Reuters
