United News of Bangladesh

Warning against past attempts to tarnish their image at home and abroad, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday urged armed forces members to uphold professionalism, unity, discipline and chain of command to preserve the force’s honour and dignity. “The main message for uniformed forces is that it is difficult to maintain honour and dignity without professionalism, unity, discipline and chain of command,” he said at a programme marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment. The government is working to gradually modernise the armed forces and police for UN peacekeeping missions and international duties, the Prime Minister. Addressing members of the armed forces, he said the military is a symbol of the country’s independence, honour and courage. “A major of the army declared the independence of Bangladesh. I believe this glory and pride will remain an eternal source of inspiration for our armed forces. So, it is the duty of the armed forces to ensure that this honour is never diminished in any way,” Tarique Rahman said. He said Bangladesh’s armed forces have earned global recognition through their role in UN peacekeeping missions though attempts were made at different times to create confusion and damage the image of the forces at home and abroad. “There have also been attempts, both at home and abroad, to tarnish the image of the armed forces. Overcoming all such conspiracies and challenges, the Armed Forces united under the leadership of the Proclaimer of Independence and regained their footing on November 7, 1975,” Tarique said. Despite that, he said attempts to undermine the unity of the Armed Forces continued at different times through various incidents. The Prime Minister referred to the “major blow” suffered by the armed forces during the BDR mutiny in February 2009, saying the consequences of the incident were well known to the nation. He said instead of merely reflecting on the past, a scope has now been created for the state to establish itself with dignity and full integrity by learning from past experiences in a fascism-free Bangladesh. “Those serving in the armed forces, government, or public administration are all citizens of Bangladesh. This country belongs to all of us. Wherever we serve, at home or abroad, let it be our commitment today to perform our duties properly and responsibly,” Tarique Rahman said. Highlighting global challenges, he said the world is now passing through a complex situation where peacekeeping missions have become more risky and multidimensional due to changing geopolitical realities and rapid technological advancement. “Besides conventional warfare, cyber warfare, misuse of artificial intelligence, media propaganda and climate-induced security threats have emerged as new obstacles to global peace,” the Prime Minister said adding that future peacekeeping missions must be more modern, visionary and technology-based. He also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s strong commitment to peace, global stability and humanity on the international stage. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh firmly believes in the principles of independence, sovereignty and mutual respect among nations.“As an independent and self-respecting nation, Bangladesh will always remain committed to peace, global stability and humanity in the international arena.”

The UN will honour eight fallen peacekeepers from Bangladesh to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten, according to a press release from the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Dhaka. Guterres will preside over a ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal will be awarded posthumously to 129 military, police and civilian peacekeepers, including the eight from Bangladesh.  They lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year and in the first month of this year, the release said. Also read: Bangladesh calls for greater int’l efforts for safety, security of peacekeepers He will lay a wreath to honour more than 4,000 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. The fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers are Abdul Md Halim who served with MINUSMA; LCpl Md Abdulla Al Mamun and Sgt Mohammad Ibrahim who served with United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Sgt Md Mobarak Hussain, LCl Md Saiful ISLAM, Md Saiful Imam Bhuiyan and Sgt Md Ziaur RAHMAN who were deployed with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); and Washerman Nurul AMIN of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).  Bangladesh is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping.  Also read: UN lauds Bangladesh's peacekeepers It currently deploys more than 6,600 military and police personnel to the UN operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.  In a message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General said: “I express my deep gratitude to the 85,000 civilian, police and military personnel currently deployed in some of the world’s most challenging hotspots to protect the vulnerable and help to build peace. The theme for this year’s observance is “The road to a lasting peace: Leveraging the power of youth for peace and security.” Read Dhaka seeks strong global resolve to end Palestinian crisis permanently

Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers, who have lost their lives in the line of duty, will be honoured at United Nations ceremony as the UN Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Friday.