Members of the Bangladesh Police, engaged in UN peacekeeping missions at different trouble-torn areas of the world, have earned nearly Tk 4,000 crore in the last 25 years. Sources at the Police Headquarters said an amount of Tk 375 crore came in remittance from this source on average every year during the period. Bangladesh police has contributed to 19 peacekeeping missions in 14 countries where 13,223 members, including 603 female, took part as of March 31 this year. The first full-fledged women contingent of the Form Police Unit (FPU) consisting of 110 women police was sent to the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti in May, 2010. Bangladesh Police started participating in the UN missions in 1989. Sixteen members laid down their lives during the period. Besides, nine policemen were injured during the period. Presently, around 1,762 members, including 190 female, of Bangladesh Police have been performing their duties with reputation in different UN peacekeeping missions in various countries, including Congo, South Sudan, Darfur, Ivory Coast, Mali and Haiti. A 139-member contingent of Bangladesh Police left Dhaka for Mali on May 13 to join the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission there. It was the first full-fledged Formed Police Unit (FPU) of Bangladesh Police deployed in the West African country Mali. Talking to UNB, Assistant Inspector General (Media) of Police Headquarters Jalaluddin Ahmed said Bangladesh Police is ready to contribute more police personnel to the UN peacekeeping missions, if necessary. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has been working under UN peacekeeping missions since 1988 with view to establishing world peace and harmony. Bangladesh Army started its journey with the UN peacekeeping mission in 1988 with 15 observers in UNIMOG (Iraq-Iran), while Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Army joined UNPKO in 1993. More than 100 Bangladeshi soldiers were killed in incidents of ambush, encounter and accidents in different UN peacekeeping missions during the 25 years. At least nine of them were killed in a single ambush in Congo in February 2005 at Ituri, one of Congo’s worst troubles spots, where ethnic militias have killed 50,000 civilians since 1999. – UNB
