Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said her government is firmly committed to continuing its efforts to establish global peace and security.
“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman set ‘Friendship towards all, malice towards none’ as the country’s foreign policy on the basis of which Bangladesh is making peaceful settlement of all disputes,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing a function marking the International Peace Keeping Day-2013 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
Following Bangabandhu’s ideals, Hasina said, Bangladesh has been maintaining warm diplomatic relations with friendly countries and pursuing every initiative undertaken by the UN in promoting global peace and stability.
Highlighting the active participation of Bangladesh in peacekeeping operations and in other multinational assignments, Sheikh Hasina said it has enhanced Bangladesh’s image at global world forum. “The international community is admiring Bangladesh as a frontrunner in establishing global peace, which is a matter of glory for the nation,” she said.
Hasina said the supreme sacrifices of Bangladesh peacekeepers upheld the country’s commitment to peace at the UN missions on one hand and integrated the diplomatic ties with economically developed and militarily powerful nations on the other.
Terming Bangladesh as the highest contributor to the UN Peacekeeping, she said, the nation feels proud of it saying out of 92,541 peacekeepers of 116 countries 8,936 peacekeepers, including 224 female ones, are from Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and Bangladesh Police earned the trust of the international community through their hard works and professionalism at the risk of their lives and through dedication and competence in many war-torn areas of the world.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh’s participation in the newly formed UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali has already been confirmed while the government has been continuously pursuing in sending more peacekeepers. Besides, the Prime Minister said, Bangladesh has also created a new dimension in the international peace diplomacy. “Bangladesh as Nam coordinator of the UN Peace Building Commission has contributed to peace building in post conflict states to transition from war to peace there.”
-With The Independent input
