United Nations has remined Bangladesh authorities that the use of their insignia-marked vehicles can be used within peacekeeping operations, not for quelling local protest.

  “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,” Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told a regular briefing in New York on Monday.

Recently, UN-marked 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 authorities said that it forgot to remove UN markings from vehicles during an army-enforced curfew to contain deadly violence that spread across the country last week and killed nearly hundreds of people.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has expressed deep concern about the on-going situation in Bangladesh, citing reports of crackdown security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations during student protests.

“The Secretary-General is concerned about reported mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opposition in connection with the current student movement,” said Stéphane.

The spokesperson mentioned that Guterres underscores the importance of due process and the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

“He (Secretary General) is also alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations,” added Stephane.

UN secretary general reiterates his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently, and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account, according to the official.

“We continue to raise our concerns about the situation in the country with relevant authorities, both in the capital Dhaka and here in New York and we count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop contributing country to United Nations Peacekeeping missions,” Stephane continued.