State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday said that Bangladeshi peacekeepers in United Nations missions continue to serve putting their lives on the line for global peace and national honour.
She lauded the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers at a discussion, on “The Contribution of Bangladeshi Peacekeepers to Global Peace,” organised by the Defence Journalists Association of Bangladesh (DJAB) at CIRDAP auditorium.
“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.
Addressing the event as chief guest, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the government views Bangladesh’s growing participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations as a key foreign policy priority.
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.
Former DJAB presidents Abul Khayer city editor of Daily Ittefaq and Mamunur Rashid, senior Staff Correspondent of The Daily Observer, senior member Masud Karim, and several professors and researchers from Dhaka University also attended the programme.
International security analyst and Summit Power Limited Managing Director Maj Gen (retd) Dr Monirul Islam Akhand said UN peacekeeping missions not only contribute to global peace but also strengthen Bangladesh’s defence capabilities.
“Many of the mission-related equipment and logistics are financed by the United Nations and later become part of our national capacity,” he said, stressing the need for greater investment in the safety and modernisation of peacekeepers.
Retired Commodore MM Jasim Uddin Bhuiyan described peacekeeping missions as environments marked by uncertainty and danger.
“Peacekeeping means confronting the unknown every day, where personnel face bullets and, at times, the painful loss of fellow comrades,” he said.
Air Commodore Mohammad Mushtaqur Rahman (LPR) of the Bangladesh Air Force said drone attacks have emerged as one of the most significant threats in modern peacekeeping operations.
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.
