350 Bangladeshi Police to join UN mission in Central African Republic

350 BANGLADESHI POLICE TO JOIN UN MISSION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Dhaka- Bangladeshi police are expected to deploy some 350 personnel to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic in the month of October.

This will be the first United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic for the members of Bangladesh police, according to a Dhaka-based privately-run news agency. The United Nations decided to start sending peacekeepers from different countries to Central African Republic from September 15. 

Currently, over 1,750 members, including 190 female, of Bangladesh Police have been deployed in different peacekeeping missions in Congo, South Sudan, Darfur, Ivory Coast, Mali and Haiti.

Bangladesh Police Headquarters said has already given consent to the United Nations Headquarters, that Bangladesh police have the capacity to send more peacekeepers as per the requirement. 

On March 14 this year, both Muslim and Christian leaders of Central African Republic pleaded the United Nations Security Council for deploying peacekeepers to the country that has been ripped apart by unprecedented sectarian violence in recent times.

Later, the United Nations secretariat requested the member states to provide peacekeepers with adequate capabilities and equipment, and to enhance the capacity of UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to operate and discharge its responsibilities, including specialized competencies and language skill appropriate to discharge the entrusted police task. 

United News of Bangladesh quoted an unnamed source at the police headquarters saying the UN headquarters has already sent a request letter seeking contribution to support the MINUSCA.

Two police units comprising 140 members each along with 50 more members for the UNPOL will be deployed to the Central African Republic by October this year if everything goes well, he said. 

Assistant Inspector General of the Police, Assaduzzaman, acknowledged that the police headquarters has already given consent for deploying Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

Assistant Inspector General of Police Assaduzzaman told “We got the new offer to deploy more peacekeepers under UN Peacekeeping Mission as members of Bangladesh police have been discharging their duties with reputation in different countries,”