According to information obtained from a number of credible sources, political rivals of ruling Awami League (AL) are making frantic bids in getting members of Bangladesh Armed Forces banned from participating in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) or UN peace missions. They are accusing the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces as “abettors” of the ruling Awami League and “perpetrators” of “gross human rights violations. Those who are behind such vicious attempts should know, if their agenda succeeds, this will not only tarnish the image of Bangladesh, it would take years for lifting such ban.
A large number of the Bengali officers and units from Pakistan Army and East Pakistan Rifles mutinied against their West Pakistani occupation forces and joined the war of independence in 1971. With the partitioning of India on August 15, 1947, the territory constituting modern Bangladesh was partitioned from the province of Bengal as East Bengal, joining the newly created state of Pakistan. Ethnic and sectional discrimination prevailed in all sectors of the state. Like other government sectors, Bengalis were under-represented in the Pakistan military too.
Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5 percent of overall force by 1965. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not “martially inclined” unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis; the “Martial Races” notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by Bengalis. Moreover, despite huge defense spending, East Pakistan received none of the benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 over Kashmir also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis as only an under-strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to thwart any Indian retaliations during the conflict.
On April 17, 1971, Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani took oath as the commander-in-chief of Mukti Bahini. While the war raged on, the necessity of a well-trained armed force was always felt. During the first Bangladesh Sector Commanders Conference, held from July 11 to 17, 1971, the Bangladesh Forces started its journey composed of the revolting Bengali members of the Pakistan Army and EPR. In this historic conference the field command structure, sector reorganization, reinforcement, appointment of field commanders and tactics of warfare were decided upon and carried out. On November 21, 1971, the Bangladesh Forces was divided into three separate services as Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force. The newly formed Bangladeshi armed forces incorporated some of the units and guerrillas of the Mukti Bahini.
Having relied primarily on India and the Soviet Union for military aid, Bangladesh has also developed military ties with the People’s Republic of China and the United States. The Bangladesh Army has been actively involved in United Nations Peace Support Operations (UNPSO). During the first Gulf War in 1991, the Bangladesh Army sent a 2,193-member team to monitor peace in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Bangladesh Army also participated in peacekeeping activities in Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda Rwanda, Mozambique, former Yugoslavia, Liberia, Haiti, Tajikistan, Western Sahara, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Georgia, East Timor, Condo, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia. Bangladesh remains the second largest contributor with thousands of troops in the UN Peacekeeping forces.
A large number of the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces have sacrificed lives while performing in various UN peacekeeping operations. The leader of Bangladesh contingent to Namibia (UNTAG), Lieutenant Colonel Md. Faizul Karim died in Windhoek, Namibia in 1989. He was the first Bangladeshi officer who died on a peacekeeping mission abroad. More than 128 Bangladeshi Peacekeepers have been posthumously awarded ‘Dag Hammarskjöld Medals’ for their praiseworthy performance.
The performance of Bangladesh’s contingents has been described as being of the highest order and the appointment of several senior Bangladesh military officers as the Commander of UN peacekeeping missions and Senior Military Liaison Officers, may be seen as further recognition of the Bangladesh Army’s growing esteem in the peacekeeping community. In 2008, the BBC described the Bangladeshi UN Force as “the cream of UN peacekeepers”.
Despite such a glorious achievement of our Armed Forces in the United Nations and the world, there is a growing attempt from the political rivals of ruling Awami League that is making desperate bids in getting Bangladesh Armed Forces banned from the UN peace missions.
According to information, six members of the US Congress from the Republican Party wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on May 17, 2023 seeking “stricter individual sanctions” and banning Bangladesh law enforcement and military personnel from participating in UN peacekeeping missions”.
Meanwhile, political opponents of Awami League, through their lobbyist agents in the United States are currently persuading at least two dozen members of the US Congress – both from the Democratic and Republican parties with the request of sending letters to the United Nations asking for banning members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces from the UN peace missions. Similarly, they may call upon President Joe Biden for “stricter individual sanctions” and banning Bangladesh law enforcement and military personnel from participating in UN peacekeeping missions. Those who are spending millions of dollars towards achieving such a notorious agenda, though proclaim to be patriots – their actions clearly are treacherous and seditious. No patriot can indulge into a nasty game targeting countries’ armed forces.
