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On June 25, 2023, Underneath-Secretary-Basic of the United Nations (UN) for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix arrived in Bangladesh and heartily praised the efficiency of Bangladeshi peacekeepers throughout his assembly with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Simply two weeks in the past, the New York-based INGO Human Rights Watch had known as upon the UN generally and Underneath-Secretary-Basic Lacroix specifically to reinforce the screening of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, which might basically prohibit the deployment of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in UN peace operations. Nevertheless, on this context, greater than three a long time {of professional} and dutiful service of Bangladesh peacekeepers to the UN and the worldwide neighborhood should not be forgotten.
Based on Article 25 of the Structure of Bangladesh, the nation is dedicated to the promotion of worldwide peace, safety and solidarity in accordance with the ideas enunciated within the UN Constitution. So, Bangladesh is legally and morally duty-bound to help the UN in its endeavours to determine and preserve peace and safety internationally. By means of its lively participation within the UN Iran–Iraq Army Observer Group (UNIIMOG) in 1988–1991, Bangladesh began collaborating in UN peace operations. Since then, 188,558 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, together with 2,728 feminine peacekeepers, have served in 63 UN operations in 40 completely different states throughout 5 continents. Presently, 7,436 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, together with 572 feminine peacekeepers, are deployed in UN operations in 13 states. At current, Bangladesh is the topmost contributor of personnel to UN operations. To this point, 167 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives whereas fulfilling their worldwide duties.
Described by the worldwide media because the ‘cream of UN peacekeepers,’ Bangladeshi peacekeepers have constantly demonstrated their professionalism, braveness and willpower throughout complicated and harmful UN operations, together with in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Lebanon, Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR). Bangladeshi peacekeepers have performed distinguished roles in establishing peace and safety in a number of Asian and African states, and carried out their duties to the worldwide neighborhood with effectivity and dignity.
In consequence, high UN officers, in addition to a number of host governments and army consultants, have extremely recommended the position of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in defending worldwide peace and safety, fostering democracy, fulfilling the humanitarian wants of susceptible individuals, and selling human rights in host international locations. Bangladeshi peacekeepers have acquired massive numbers of decorations for his or her service. Owing to the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in establishing peace and safety in Sierra Leone after the Sierra Leonean Civil Struggle (1991–2002), the federal government of that nation declared Bengali to be an honorary language as an indication of respect and a number of other faculties have been named ‘Sierra Leone-Bangladesh Friendship Faculty.’ Equally, in recognition of the position performed by Bangladeshi peacekeepers in guaranteeing peace in Côte d’Ivoire, a avenue within the Ivorian metropolis of Danané was named the ‘Bangladesh Highway.’ These signify that Bangladeshi peacekeepers have made vital contributions to the UN’s efforts of upholding peace and safety internationally and have proved themselves to be some of the efficient peacekeeping contingents beneath UN auspices.
It ought to be famous that whereas the states of the International North present round 84% of the funds required for UN peace operations, Bangladesh and another states of the International South present the majority of troops who’ve to keep up peace and supply safety on the bottom. Northern states, and lots of Southern states as properly, are sometimes unwilling to ship peacekeepers to UN operations, whereas Bangladesh and some different Southern states have been ardent contributors in UN operations. Whereas most states desire the secure path of non-involvement, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been dutifully serving the UN for greater than three a long time, typically risking their lives and well being. Along with fulfilling their constitutional and worldwide duties, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have improved the picture of their nation internationally, enhanced its politico-diplomatic place and helped its funds by serving in UN operations.
Bangladeshi peacekeepers have acquired acclaim and acceptability owing to quite a few elements, together with their professionalism, humanism and lack of any hegemonic agenda. These attributes have differentiated Bangladeshi peacekeepers from the peacekeepers of many different states.
In actual fact, participation in UN operations has a transformative and stabilizing impact on the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Within the instant years after independence, Bangladesh witnessed quite a few army coups d’état and revolts. Nevertheless, intensive participation in UN operations has contributed to their professionalization, redirecting their energies in the direction of a greater and larger trigger, that’s, the safety of worldwide peace and safety. After the start of Bangladeshi participation in UN operations, army intervention in Bangladeshi politics has sharply declined, serving to the method of democratization. Furthermore, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have assisted within the processes of democratization in quite a few international locations, together with Namibia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Thus, rising participation in UN operations has contributed to the de-politicization and professionalization of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. In distinction, another states have been collaborating in UN operations for a very long time, but their armed forces stay engrossed in unprofessional and non-democratic actions. As an example, Pakistan has been a key troop-contributing nation for UN operations since 1960, but the Pakistan Armed Forces proceed to be the ‘kingmaker’ in Pakistani politics and to this point 4 army dictators have dominated the nation. Egypt is one other key contributor of personnel for UN operations, and the nation continues to be beneath a military-controlled authorities. Equally, Chad is a vital troop-contributing nation for UN operations, and the nation is at the moment dominated by a army regime. So, the Bangladesh Armed Forces are comparatively way more depoliticized and professionally-oriented among the many states which give personnel for UN peace operations.
Furthermore, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have typically efficiently carried out ‘hearts and minds’ campaigns of their locations of deployment. These campaigns embrace creating good rapport with the native inhabitants, offering them with humanitarian help and medical support, initiating small-scale growth applications for them, and defending them from predatory teams. In consequence, Bangladeshi peacekeepers grew to become well-liked among the many native inhabitants in quite a few host international locations, together with Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and the DRC. Additionally, there have been only a few allegations of misconduct and human rights violations towards Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers. In distinction, peacekeepers from a number of international locations, together with France, Pakistan, Morocco, Benin, Burundi and Gabon, have been accused of committing numerous crimes in host international locations, akin to sexual assault and smuggling.
Moreover, quite a few states, particularly nice and regional powers, have been accused of utilizing UN operations as a instrument of exerting neo-colonial and imperial domination over host international locations. As an example, the Malian authorities has accused French and Ivorian UN peacekeepers of attempting to topple the nation’s authorities. Chad has been accused of utilizing its UN peacekeeping contingent within the CAR to affect that nation’s inside politics. Alternatively, Bangladesh doesn’t have any colonial previous with regard to any nation, and Bangladeshi peacekeepers have by no means been accused of pursuing any imperialist or hegemonic agenda.
On a ultimate be aware, a lot of the armed forces that contribute troops to UN operations, together with Pakistani, Indonesian, Egyptian, Chadian and Ethiopian armed forces, have been accused of significant human rights violations of their dwelling international locations. In distinction, the human rights file of the Bangladesh Armed Forces is relatively clear. So, singling out Bangladeshi peacekeepers for screening shouldn’t be solely an affront to the devoted service of Bangladeshi peacekeepers but in addition an unfair step directed in the direction of Bangladesh.
To this point, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have served the UN professionally, dutifully and honourably. They’ve constantly risked their lives in an effort to fulfil their constitutional and worldwide duties of defending worldwide peace and safety. Their participation in UN peace operations have contributed to the method of democratization in each their locations of deployment and of their dwelling international locations. Due to this fact, their contributions to world peace should be acknowledged and honoured.
[Photo by Bangladesh Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons]
*Md. Himel Rahman is a post-graduate pupil of Safety Research on the Division of Worldwide Relations, College of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a contract analyst on worldwide and strategic affairs. His articles have been revealed within the South Asian Voices, The Geopolitics, the International Affairs Insights & Evaluate, the Day by day Star, the Dhaka Tribune and different platforms. The views and opinions expressed on this article are these of the writer.
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