UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account.

He said they have taken note of the statements by the Bangladesh authorities that UN-marked vehicles are no longer being deployed within the country.

‘We remind and reiterate that UN troop- and police-contributing countries are to use UN insignia and equipment marked with the UN insignia only when they are performing mandated tasks as UN peacekeepers in the context of their deployment within a UN peacekeeping operation,’ said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General on July 29.

The spokesperson said they continue to raise their concerns about the situation in the country with relevant authorities, both in Dhaka, and in New York, and they count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Giving an update on Bangladesh, he said the Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh.

He noted reports of the resumption of student protests and reiterated his call for calm and restraint.

The secretary-general is concerned about the reported mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opposition in connection with the current student movement.

‘He underscores the importance of due process and the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly,’ said the spokesperson.

The UN chief is also alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations.