No Peacekeeping For Human Rights Violators: Army Chief

If allegations of human rights violations are proven against any member of the military, that individual will not be sent on United Nations peacekeeping missions, stated Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman.

During his visit to the United States, General Waker-uz-Zaman informed UN officials about this decision during a bilateral meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York.

On Friday, October 25, after returning to the country, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement confirming this information.

The ISPR reported that during his visit, the Army Chief met with key individuals involved in peacekeeping missions at the UN Headquarters, as well as high-ranking military and civilian officials from the United States and Canada.

On October 17, General Waker-uz-Zaman held meetings with several UN officials, including Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Peace Operations; Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Operational Support; and Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.

During these meetings, the officials praised the contributions of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, particularly those from the armed forces.

The Army Chief emphasized the importance of increasing Bangladeshi participation in UN peacekeeping missions and enhancing representation at policy-making and force command levels.

He also informed the UN officials that if allegations of human rights violations are substantiated against army personnel on secondment to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), they will not be selected for peacekeeping missions.

Additionally, General Waker-uz-Zaman highlighted the ongoing activities of the Bangladesh Army under the interim government's directives and presented the various positive initiatives taken by the Bangladesh government and military to improve socio-economic conditions and peace in the Chattogram Hill Tracts to the UN officials.