Though the country has been sending peacekeepers to different UN peacekeeping missions abroad for the past 25 years, the government is yet to prepare the proposed National Peacekeeping Strategy as it is entangled in red tape, sources said. In January, during the visit to Dhaka by Ameerah Haq, the UN under-secretary-general for the department of field support, the foreign ministry prepared a draft of the strategy by holding two meetings with the representatives of the ministries concerned. However, it is yet to finalise it, sources added.
In the absence of a National Peacekeeping Strategy, the authorities concerned cannot provide the necessary training and guidelines to persons, especially members of the armed forces, who are eligible to go to different peacekeeping missions abroad, the sources said.
The director of the Bangladesh Army Overseas Operations Directorate, Brig. Gen. Salim Aktar, told The Independent that they were selecting and sending members of the armed forces to different peacekeeping missions in accordance with their own guidelines.
“People who are eligible to be selected for the peacekeeping missions could know about their role and responsibilities with regard to the peacekeeping missions if the government prepares a National Peacekeeping Strategy,” he pointed out.
He added that four contingents from the Army and the Navy will go to Mali in West Africa, likely by the first week of July, to maintain peace and order. “We are planning to send two helicopters to Mali for helping the peacekeepers who work for the African nation,” he said.
At present, there are 15 peacekeeping operations and one special political mission — the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) — led by the department of peacekeeping operations (DPO) of the UN.
As many as 8,936 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are currently serving in eight UN peacekeeping missions in Ivory
Coast, Liberia, Sudan, DR Congo, Western Sahara, Lebanon, Haiti, and Darfur (South Sudan).
Personnel of the Air Force, the Navy and Bangladesh police are also participating in the peacekeeping operations.
A total of 118,985 Bangladeshi peacekeepers has served in 47 countries for 47 peacekeeping missions till date.
Of them, the Bangladesh Army has served in 47 missions in 36 countries with 101,332 peacekeepers and at present, 6,169 personnel are serving in seven missions in seven countries.
The Bangladesh Navy has successfully served in 29 missions in 24 countries with 2,439 peacekeepers and currently 395 personnel are serving in seven missions in seven countries.
The Bangladesh Air Force has successfully served in 25 missions in 24 countries with 3,583 peacekeepers. At present, 506 personnel are serving in six missions in six countries.
Members of the Bangladesh police force have successfully served in 19 missions with 11,631 peacekeepers. Currently, 1,866 personnel are serving in six missions in six countries.
Participation of women from Bangladesh in UN peacekeeping missions has also received immense appreciation.
A total of 136 officers from the Bangladesh armed forces and 414 personnel from Bangladesh police forces has efficiently served for world peace.
Bangladeshi peacekeepers joined the UN peacekeeping operation for the first time in 1988. Its contribution was modest then: 31 officers formed part of the UN Iraq-Iran military observer group in Iraq.
Since then, Bangladesh has become the largest and the most respected contributor to the UN peacekeeping efforts.
Currently, the UN is operating 15 peace missions with 113,057 peacekeepers drawn from 107 member-states for ensuring peace in conflict zones with one basic requirement: to restore the rule of law.
In the past 25 years, Bangladesh has earned over Tk. 5,000 crore by sending out over 112,807 soldiers, nearly half the total troops in the Bangladesh Army. Bangladesh has lost 110 peacekeepers from the police and armed forces. As many as 63 soldiers, including 15 officers, were killed in a tragic plane accident in the central African state of Benin in December 2003.
Since the first UN peacekeeping mission was established in 1948, more than 3,100 military, police and civilian personnel have lost their lives in the service of peace as a result of acts of violence, accidents and disease.
-With The Independent input
