'UN to give special consideration to recruit more peacekeepers from Bangladesh'

Visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Sunday assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.

Lacroix made the assurance when he met acting Army Chief Lieutenant General Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan at the military headquarters on Sunday.

During the meeting, they exchanged greetings and discussed various issues related to the UN peacekeeping mission. During the discussion, the current status of the Mali mission and the future activities of the said mission was given utmost importance, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate media release.

The acting army chief requested the visiting UN Under Secretary General to recruit more Bangladeshi peacekeepers for the peacekeeping missions.

Lacroix highly praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers engaged in the UN missions and assured that he would give special consideration to the recruitment of more peacekeepers from Bangladesh.

He also thanked Bangladesh and especially the Bangladesh Army for sending the highest number of peacekeepers for a long time.

During the meeting, the appointment of Bangladeshis and especially women peacekeepers for important appointments in future peacekeeping missions was also discussed. The acting armyy chief thanked the UN official.

The UN under secretary general is on a visit to Bangladesh to attend the Peacekeeping Ministerial-2023 Preparatory Conference to be held in Ghana's capital Accra in December this year.

This conference titled "Women in Peace" is being organised jointly by Bangladesh, Canada and Uruguay. Bangladesh has been in a leading position in the dynamic trend, which the United Nations has developed in peacekeeping missions over the past few decades.

Bangladesh has also been standing the number one country for sending peacekeepers for the past few years. The number of members sent from Bangladesh is increasing every year. Bangladesh is also in a strong position in decision-making posts in peacekeeping missions.