Armed Forces Day 2015
Published: 12:00 AM, 21 November 2015
Bangladesh Armed Forces making great contribution to UN Peacekeeping
"Wearing a blue helmet is a question of national pride," said Colonel Ashraf of the Bangladesh Army. He has just come back from a 13-month UN peacekeeping mission in the Ivory Coast of Africa and now teaches soldiers from around the world in peacekeeping operations.
Bangladesh's participation in the UN peacekeeping missions has become an important component of foreign policy and the country has attained a good standing. Bangladesh's commitment to peace is demonstrated by its contribution to the UN peacekeeping missions.
This year, Bangladesh has stepped into 25th year of participation in UN peacekeeping mission across the world and in conflicting countries namely Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, former Yugoslavia, Liberia, Haiti, Tajikistan, Western Sahara, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Georgia, East Timor, Congo, Côte d`Ivoire and Ethiopia.
Bangladesh uniformed personnel have set values, norms and professionalism wherever they went. Their role was admired by the UN.
In 2008, the BBC described the Bangladeshi UN Force as The Cream of UN Peacekeepers.
Bangladeshi army General led the peacekeeping mission in Mozambique in 1994 and another army General in Georgia in 2002. One Bangladeshi General led the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.
Bangladesh provided to the UN until May 2012, three Bell-22 helicopters, one MI-17 helicopter, one C-130 transport aircraft, a Frigate and an Off-shore Patrol Vessel to the UN for peacekeeping purpose.
Besides, Bangladesh sent women peacekeepers to quake-ravaged Haiti in 2010, as per the UN mandate, to provide humanitarian activities, community policing, primary education, primary healthcare, protection on violence against women, prevention of HIV, Aids training and so on.
Since the peacekeeping missions are often in hostile environment, there have been casualties of Bangladeshi peacekeepers. As a result of its contributions to various UN peacekeeping operations, As of September 2012, a total of 109 brave peacekeepers (including one woman army major) from Bangladesh died for the cause of world peace, security and humanity and 142 injured.
The leader of Bangladesh contingent to Namibia UNTAG Lieutenant Colonel Md. Faizul Karim died in Windhoek, Namibia in 1989. He was the first Bangladeshi officer who died on a peace-keeping mission abroad.
During the UN General Assembly session in 2012, the Secretary General Ban ki-moon conveyed their appreciation of the role of Bangladesh peacekeeping forces to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while she was attending the session of the GA of the UN. Bangladesh became a member of a UN board for peacekeeping missions.
Bangladesh has earned the position of the Chair of the UN Peace-building Commission and the Membership of Peace-Building Fund.
The Bangladesh Armed Forces and the Bangladesh Police have been actively involved in a number of United Nations Peace Support Operations (UNPSO).
The performance of Bangladesh's contingents has been described as being of the highest order and the appointment of several senior Bangladesh military officers as the Commander of UN peacekeeping missions.
As newer conflicts erupt, piling further pressure on the UN to intervene, additional peacekeepers are being rigorously trained at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training.
Bangladesh soldiers, also, learn languages and skills required to serve in UN missions in foreign soil.
Brigadier General Anissuzaman Bhuyan said, "As peacekeepers, we need to build relationships with the local community," who served as a Commandant in a conflicting African country.
Bangladesh does not have the military might that other countries have. But it does have an army of around 150,000 populations and it knows how to handle conflict.
"Our contribution to peacekeeping operations is crucial. It's a way for Bangladesh to exercise what we call our soft power. It's a way of winning hearts and minds," adds Bhuyan.
Commandant Bhuyan is keen to point out that peacekeeping is part of Bangladesh's constitution. Article 25-1 states the importance of promoting international peace and security.
With 47 UN missions under its belt, Bangladesh possesses a heavyweight Armed Forces in peacekeeping operation.
Manzoor Hasan, an advisor at BRAC University's Institute of Governance Studies in Dhaka, says: "This gives Bangladesh brownie points in international relations. At the very least it improves the country's image. At most it allows Bangladesh to place its nationals in key positions in international organizations."
In 2002, the West African country of Sierra Leone made Bengali one of its official languages after Bangladeshi peacekeepers built a 54km road there during the civil war.
The trainer, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafiz, told, "We prepare soldiers for all sorts of real-life scenarios, because it's a dangerous job. Many UN peacekeepers have lost their lives."
In the past 50 years, 2,994 soldiers have died on UN missions. "Increasingly, UN soldiers have become targets for rebel groups," says Mustafiz.
The International Day for UN Peacekeepers is being observed on May 29 across the world including Bangladesh.
Peacekeepers are on duty wherever the UN is called on to solve problems too big for local authority. They are there to maintain peace and protect civilians. They work with governments to enforce peace and monitor human rights and often the conduct of elections. They are sent to a country as a result of a decision made by 15 members of the UN Security Council.
The peacekeeping mission now has been the most successful visible programmes of the UN with a full department of peacekeeping operations headed by an Under-Secretary General.
