Peacekeepers earn global respect, help improve ties

Peacekeepers earn global respect, help improve ties

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the services of heroic army and police personnel of Bangladesh would continue in the UN peacekeeping missions and in other diplomatic endeavours to ensure a peaceful and prosperous world for the next generations.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital yesterday, gives gallantry award to the wife of a UN peacekeeper killed during a peacekeeping mission as army chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed looks on. Photo: PID

"Inshallah, we will take all necessary measures to send more army and police to the peacekeeping missions for this purpose. The present government will do its best…" she said while addressing a function marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers-2009 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre this afternoon.

"We want peace, not conflict," Sheikh Hasina said explaining the foreign policy of Bangladesh that speaks of friendship to all. Bangladesh peacekeeping activities have been playing an important role in achieving this goal, she added.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud, Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed and UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Renata Dessallien also addressed the function highlighting the role of Bangladesh in UN peacekeeping missions.

Referring to the Awami League-led government from 1996 to 2001, Sheikh Hasina said, "We have set up the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) at Rajendrapur so that our members of the armed forces could discharge their duties smartly."

She said Bangladesh's peacekeepers have been earning respect and gratitude of people of many countries, improving Dhaka's ties with the allies of peace efforts across the globe. The rank and file of the Bangladesh Army has been adjusted with the international standard to further strengthen our involvement in the UN peacekeeping missions, she said.

Bangladesh Army joined the family of "Blue Helmet" participating the UNIIMOG in 1988 with 15 military observers that was followed by Bangladesh Police in 1989 and Bangladesh Navy and Air Force in 1993.

Besides, Bangladesh completed 45 out of 63 peacekeeping missions participated by 81,415 peacekeepers from the country. Currently, 92,655 troops and police personnel are working on UN peacekeeping operations in 20 countries.

Of them, 9,409 peacekeepers are from Bangladesh working in 13 UN peacekeeping missions. Bangladesh is the second largest contributing country in UN peacekeeping missions in terms of the number of army personnel deployed and first in terms of the number of police personnel.

Earlier, a one-minute silence was observed to pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives, suffered grievous injuries for the cause of peace in distant faraway lands.

The prime minister prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyred army offices of BDR carnage and also paid her profound respect to the greatest Bangalee of all time Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under whose leadership the nation earned the independence.

Among others, Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral ZU Ahmed, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall SM Ziaur Rahman, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Md Abdul Mubin, Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad were present.

In 1947, the UN first used military personnel in the consular commission in Indonesia and in the special committee in the Balkan area. The first UN peacekeeping operation took place in 1956 with the UN Emergency Force in the middle east. Many peacekeeping missions were launched with Bangladesh's participation since the 80s.

The prime minister distributed gallantry awards among the wives of those who were killed and injured in different incidents during their peacekeeping missions. A total of 91 valiant sons of the soil laid down their lives till to date for the cause of world peace.

Sheikh Hasina said, "We have also taken steps to send Integrated Brigade to the peacekeeping operations. On my personal initiative, recruitment of women officers in the army started for the first time during our previous tenure and many of them are still serving in the UN peacekeeping missions successfully."

She said her government in 1996-2001 also implemented vast programmes to further strengthen the armed forces and ensure their qualitative improvement. Those programmes included formation of a composite brigade, an infantry brigade in Sylhet, a special works brigade including a construction battalion, a riverine engineering battalion, a support battalion, an ordnance company and a field ambulance.

Source: BSS, Dhaka