United Nations (UN) and the Government of Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a country office of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in Dhaka for a period of three years.

The agreement was signed on Friday (July 18) by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, according to a statement issued by the OHCHR headquarters in Geneva.

Following the signing, Volker Türk said the move sends “an important message of commitment to human rights” in Bangladesh and will serve as “a stepping stone towards progress.”

“This will enable my office to better support the implementation of our recommendations in public reports and work more closely on the ground with government, civil society, and others on key reforms Bangladesh is undertaking,” the UN rights chief added.

The Dhaka office will focus on technical assistance, training, and capacity-building for public institutions, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to help Bangladesh meet its national and international human rights commitments.

The proposal to open a UN rights office in Dhaka had earlier sparked debate in political circles, with some political parties expressing concern. However, the government stated that such a presence would contribute to strengthening human rights protections in the country.

On July 10, the government’s advisory council gave final approval for the OHCHR office to be established in Dhaka. This followed a policy-level clearance granted on June 29.