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Published on May 31, 2015
"At present, we have our peacekeepers in 10 missions and recently we have received an offer for some key appointments in the headquaters-level in New York and other field missions," she said.
She added: "These are obviously the outcome of the country's robust and intimate diplomacy, and our strides to get such posts in huge numbers would continue."
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a function arranged on the occasion of commemoration of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here this morning.
Bangladesh Armed Forces and Bangladesh Police organized the event in association with the office of United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh to commemorate the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers-2015.
Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali, senior most peacekeeper of Bangladesh and Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Robert Watkins also spoke on the occasion.
Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral M Farid Habib, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Haque, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and Acting Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary were present at the dais.
Sheikh Hasina said her government is continuously pursuing to contribute further to the UN peacekeeping missions.
In this connection, she mentioned that Bangladeshi peacekeepers have completed participation in 54 missions in 40 countries.
The Prime Minister said members of armed forces and police, by showing their exemplary competence, have earned respect from associating peacekeepers.
"At the same time they have also attained everlasting love from the people of war-ravaged countries," she said.
Sheikh Hasina hoped that the peacekeeping activities of Bangladesh would flourish further and its peacekeepers, with honour and pride, would keep flying its ever-shining national flag around the world.
Bangladesh stepped into the family of "Blue Helmet" through participation in UNIIMOG (Iraq-Iran) in 1988 with 15 military observers from Bangladesh Army.
Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force joined the UN Peacekeeping Operation (UNPKO) in 1993, while Bangladesh Police joined in 1989.
As of yet, Bangladesh has contributed to 54 out of total 68 UN peacekeeping missions.
Currently, Bangladesh is the highest troops-contributing country in the world with a strength of 9,593 peacekeepers. Pakistan remains in the second position with 8,163 troops and India in third with 8,112 peacekeepers.
On the way to establishing global peace, 124 Bangladeshi brave and valiant sons laid down their lives with supreme sacrifice in different UN peacekeeping missions in the last 27 years. Among them, six peacekeepers embraced martyrdom from June 2014 to May 2015.
Besides, 172 Bangladeshi peacekeepers were injured while going to perform their responsibility in different UN peacekeeping missions across the globe.
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol
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