Army chief asks UN to deploy more Bangladeshi peacekeepers

The chief of army staff, General Aziz Ahmed, has called upon the United Nations for the deployment of more Bangladeshi peacekeepers in peacekeeping missions across the globe.

In separate meetings with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare in New York, Aziz reiterated Bangladesh’s steadfast commitment and continued support to the UN peace operations.

The army chief has been on an official visit to the United States since January 29 at the invitation of the US government.

General Aziz also requested the UN top officials for appointing more Bangladeshi officers in senior positions of UN peace operations and UN headquarters.

At the meeting on Tuesday, UN Under-Secretary-General Lacroix appreciated the professionalism, discipline, dedication and bravery of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers deployed in different UN peacekeeping missions, according to a statement issued by Bangladesh's permanent mission in New York on Wednesday morning.

He thanked the Bangladesh government for its enormous contribution to UN peace operations.

Bangladesh now ranks as the top troops and police-contributing country in the world.

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Lacroix assured army chief of his support for deploying more Bangladeshi peacekeepers in future.

In his meeting with Atul Khare on Monday, General Aziz thanked him for enlisting Biman Bangladesh Airlines as a carrier of UN peacekeepers.

Khare also thanked the Bangladesh government for its significant role in transporting UN peacekeepers by Biman in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic.

They also talked on the issues of Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Police in UN peace operations.

Apart from these meetings, General Aziz also met with Lieutenant General Carlos Humberto Loitey, the military adviser for UN peacekeeping operations, on Tuesday.