State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday said Bangladeshi peacekeepers in United Nations missions continue to serve putting their lives on the line for global peace and national honour.
“Having attended various conferences in African countries, I have realised that many do not adequately understand the significant role our peacekeepers play. They risk their lives for a cause greater than themselves,” she said while addressing a discussion titled ‘Contribution of Bangladeshi Peacekeepers to World Peace’ at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
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The event was organised by the Defence Journalists Association of Bangladesh (DJAB).
Paying tribute to the families of peacekeepers, the state minister said, “I would also like to remember their families today. Every family sends their father, husband or brother on these missions without knowing whether they will return. Yet they continue to support them out of love for the country.”
The discussion was chaired by DJAB President Alamgir Hossain.
DJAB General Secretary Tarikul Islam Masum moderated the programme.
Presenting the keynote paper, Dr Towhidul Haque, Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of the University of Dhaka, said Bangladesh began its UN peacekeeping journey in 1988 with only 15 military observers but has since become one of the world’s leading contributors to peacekeeping operations.
He said more than 2,06,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have served in over 63 missions across 43 countries.
Currently, 4,212 members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and Police are deployed in various UN missions worldwide, he added.
Some 175 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of global peace, setting a remarkable example of dedication and courage, he said.
Speakers at the event also highlighted Bangladesh’s contributions to the reconstruction of Sierra Leone, the deployment of the first all-female Muslim police unit in Haiti, healthcare and infrastructure development initiatives in Africa, and the recent receipt of the prestigious UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal as shining examples of the international recognition earned by Bangladeshi peacekeepers.
Former DJAB presidents Abul Khayer and Mamunur Rashid, senior member Masud Karim, and several professors and researchers from Dhaka University also attended the programme.
The speakers stressed the need for continued policy support from the government and stronger international cooperation to sustain Bangladesh’s longstanding contributions to UN peacekeeping missions.