He urged calm as protesters rallied across Bangladesh for a second straight day, demanding the arrest of the gunman.

“Retaliation and revenge will only deepen divisions and undermine the rights of all,” he warned.

With parliamentary elections scheduled for February, Turk stressed that it was vital to ensure an environment where all individuals could participate safely and peacefully in public life and freely express different views.

“I urge the authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and security of journalists at this critical time, and prevent further escalation of unrest,” the rights chief added.