NEW YORK: Bangladesh becomes largest troop-contributing country to peacekeeping missions of the United Nations, said Alain Le Roy, UN Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

He disclosed this Wednesday in a meeting with Tareque Siddiqui, defence advisor to the prime minister, in New York, said a press release signed by Sharke Chaman Khan, first secretary of the permanent mission of Bangladesh to the UN.

Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN Dr. AK Abdul Momen and Security advisor Brigadier-General Ibrahim Jamal were present at the meeting.

According to the release, a new team of Bangladeshi soldiers left for UN operation Tuesday, and the country overtook Pakistan with the new deployment to the UN mission.

General Ley Roy, at the meeting, appreciated the role of Bangladeshi soldiers in the missions and expressed interest in taking more helicopters and frigate from Bangladesh Army. He also praised the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) for its efforts.

On the other hand, Maj Gen (Rtrd) Tarik Ahmed requested Roy for giving the top-anked country priority at policymaking level of the commission.

Tarik Ahmed participated in the General Assembly Thematic Debate and gave his speech as a panelist on the topic ‘UN peacekeeping: looking into the future’. Foreign minister of Nigeria Henry Oden Ajurnogoria and representatives of India and Pakistan were among the other panelists.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon gave the introductory speech in the Session that included a wide range of discussions on the problems and the special experiences the members gather in the missions.



BDST: 1901 HRS. June 24, 2010
AHS/SRJ/SMS/MUA