Bangladeshi peacekeepers' sacrifice glorifies nation: Iftekhar
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said Tuesday Bangladeshi blue helmets' sublime sacrifice for world peace glorifies the nation and inspires the global community, reports UNB.
"Our peacekeepers have taken up the peacekeeping mission as a challenge. We have turned the sacrifice into the strength. We are playing an important role in establishing global peace and bringing about stability in conflict-ridden areas of the world," he said.
The foreign adviser made the statement at a commemorative meeting at the Jatiya Press Club in the city marking the 4th anniversary of death of 15 army men killed in a plane crash in Benin on this day in 2003.
The Bangladeshi peacekeepers - 13 of them members of BANBAT-9 under UNAMSIL and two under UNMIL - were returning home on leave. The remains of the martyred soldiers were brought home on December 31, 2003 by a UN chartered plane.
Gono Forum President and former foreign minister Dr Kamal Hossain presided over the meeting organised by Rhythm Cultural Society. Former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury and the society's president, Major (retd) Amin Ahmed Afsari, also spoke on the occasion.
The foreign adviser said Bangladesh has acquired a prestigious position in the community of nations for being the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping by deploying 9,831 soldiers and police in 13 missions.
"In recognition of our peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh has been made a member of the Organisational Committee of the Peace-building Commission," he said.
The adviser said the peacekeeping was always risky as it involved combating unknown enemies on foreign soil. But, he said, members of the Bangladesh army, navy, air force and police while on peacekeeping duty never retreated from facing the challenge.
So far, more than 62,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have participated in the UN peacekeeping missions and 79 heroic soldiers and police have been killed.
Because of this sublime sacrifice, Iftekhar said, whenever deployment of peacekeeping was needed, Bangladesh was considered first for the task as undaunted Bangladeshi soldiers always played a leading role anywhere in the world defying danger or risk.
Commemorating the great sacrifice of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers, he quoted an epitaph inscribed in the mausoleum of Spartan soldiers at Thermopoli battleground - 'Strangers, go and tell the Spartans, we lie here at their command'.
In his brief presidential speech, Dr Kamal Hossain said Bangladesh that had been born in establishing human rights would always stand by the struggles for human rights and justice anywhere in the world.
Since independence, Bangladesh had been playing a pro-active role in different areas of the UN and earning acclamation from the world community, he said.
Dr Kamal said martyrdom of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for establishing peace would bring world recognition for the nation and the people.
Major (retd) Amin Afsari thanked the government for constructing a World Peace Memorial and expressed the hope that it would be completed before December 25 next year.
Family members of the martyred soldiers, including Shawkat Nasrin, wife of Shaheed Lt Col SM Shamsul Arefin, were present as special guests.
"Our peacekeepers have taken up the peacekeeping mission as a challenge. We have turned the sacrifice into the strength. We are playing an important role in establishing global peace and bringing about stability in conflict-ridden areas of the world," he said.
The foreign adviser made the statement at a commemorative meeting at the Jatiya Press Club in the city marking the 4th anniversary of death of 15 army men killed in a plane crash in Benin on this day in 2003.
The Bangladeshi peacekeepers - 13 of them members of BANBAT-9 under UNAMSIL and two under UNMIL - were returning home on leave. The remains of the martyred soldiers were brought home on December 31, 2003 by a UN chartered plane.
Gono Forum President and former foreign minister Dr Kamal Hossain presided over the meeting organised by Rhythm Cultural Society. Former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury and the society's president, Major (retd) Amin Ahmed Afsari, also spoke on the occasion.
The foreign adviser said Bangladesh has acquired a prestigious position in the community of nations for being the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping by deploying 9,831 soldiers and police in 13 missions.
"In recognition of our peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh has been made a member of the Organisational Committee of the Peace-building Commission," he said.
The adviser said the peacekeeping was always risky as it involved combating unknown enemies on foreign soil. But, he said, members of the Bangladesh army, navy, air force and police while on peacekeeping duty never retreated from facing the challenge.
So far, more than 62,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have participated in the UN peacekeeping missions and 79 heroic soldiers and police have been killed.
Because of this sublime sacrifice, Iftekhar said, whenever deployment of peacekeeping was needed, Bangladesh was considered first for the task as undaunted Bangladeshi soldiers always played a leading role anywhere in the world defying danger or risk.
Commemorating the great sacrifice of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers, he quoted an epitaph inscribed in the mausoleum of Spartan soldiers at Thermopoli battleground - 'Strangers, go and tell the Spartans, we lie here at their command'.
In his brief presidential speech, Dr Kamal Hossain said Bangladesh that had been born in establishing human rights would always stand by the struggles for human rights and justice anywhere in the world.
Since independence, Bangladesh had been playing a pro-active role in different areas of the UN and earning acclamation from the world community, he said.
Dr Kamal said martyrdom of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers for establishing peace would bring world recognition for the nation and the people.
Major (retd) Amin Afsari thanked the government for constructing a World Peace Memorial and expressed the hope that it would be completed before December 25 next year.
Family members of the martyred soldiers, including Shawkat Nasrin, wife of Shaheed Lt Col SM Shamsul Arefin, were present as special guests.