WASHINGTON – A top U.N. official on Wednesday called for an investigation into killings in Bangladesh during protests that toppled ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while also calling for minority protection and a national truth and healing process.

The South Asian nation has seen rising tensions and protests in recent months. Large demonstrations forced Hasina to flee to India on August 5, and a caretaker government led by Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus took over.

“After any period of repression, unrest and violence, there must be a national process of truth and healing to move forward,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Wednesday at the end of a visit to Bangladesh.

“Pursuing justice for the brutal violence against protesters and others – including children – killed and seriously injured in July and August is a priority,” he added.

The protests began as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas in July. Human rights groups have accused Hasina of using excessive force against protesters, a charge she has denied.

The unrest was some of the deadliest since the country’s independence in 1971, leaving more than 1,000 dead and scores injured, many of them among protesting students and college students, according to Bangladesh’s caretaker health ministry.

The unrest continued after Hasina fled, as her party officials and supporters faced anger from protesters. Attacks against minorities in Bangladesh have been reported.

Türk said his office’s fact-finding mission is investigating allegations of attacks against minorities between August 5 and 15.

“It is vital that the authorities respond quickly to any reported incident by conducting thorough investigations and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he added. Reuters