United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the killing of Osman Hadi, convener of the Inqilab Moncho, and has called on the Bangladeshi authorities to conduct a swift and impartial investigation in line with international human rights standards.

The information was shared on Friday at a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

At the briefing, Dujarric said the killing of Osman Hadi has come to the attention of the United Nations. The Secretary-General condemned the incident and expressed his condolences to Hadi’s family.

Speaking about the situation in Bangladesh, the UN Secretary-General said that, in the context of rising tensions ahead of the country’s elections, all parties must refrain from violence. He urged everyone concerned to remain calm and exercise the utmost restraint to reduce tensions and avoid violence, so that a peaceful electoral environment can be maintained.

Earlier, the UN Human Rights Commission issued a statement expressing deep concern over the killing of Osman Hadi. The body also called on the Government of Bangladesh to carry out a swift, impartial, thorough, and transparent investigation to determine the cause of the killing.

In the statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized the importance of maintaining peace in the country and ensuring accountability for those responsible.

In the statement sent from Geneva, he said he was deeply saddened by the killing of Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of last year’s mass student-public movement in Bangladesh. He noted that Hadi died on Thursday in Singapore while undergoing treatment after being shot and injured last week.

The statement added that revenge would only deepen divisions and undermine the rights of all.