UN urged to recruit BD peacekeepers at commanding level

Bangladesh has requested the United Nations (UN) to recruit peacekeepers from the country at ‘policy and commanding-level’ posts in the coming days. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam conveyed the request to visiting under-secretary-general and head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) of the UN Hervé Ladsous during a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the city on Wednesday. ‘They’re considering a Bangladeshi peacekeeper at deputy-commander level and he (Ladsous) hoped that a positive outcome would come soon in that front,’ Shahriar told reporters after the meeting. Responding to a question, Shahriar said they are in discussion for increasing Bangladeshi peacekeepers in African countries. ‘It’s still at working level,’ he said adding that two destinations – Mali and Central African Republic – are in consideration where Bangladeshi peacekeepers will be deployed. The State Minister said Ladsous highly appreciated Bangladesh’s role in the UN peacekeeping missions. ‘He, specially, applauded female peacekeepers’ contributions,’ according to UNB.