Those guilty of human rights violations will not be selected for UN missions: Gen Waker
The army chief returned to Bangladesh on Friday after an 11-day official visit to the USA and Canada
Any members of the armed forces guilty of human rights violations will not be selected for the UN peacekeeping missions, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has said.
He made the remarks during a meeting with key officials of the UN Peacekeeping at the UN headquarters in New York, reads a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relation Directorate (ISPR).
He returned to Bangladesh on Friday (25 October) after an 11-day official visit to the USA and Canada.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
On 17 October, the army chief joined a bilateral meeting at UN headquarters in New York with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia, and Pacific Affairs Mohammed Khaled Khiari, and Director of Office for Peacekeeping Strategic Partnership General Jai Menon.
During the meeting, they highly praised the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, especially the armed forces members, in peacekeeping operations, reads the ISPR release.
The army chief, in the meetings, emphasised increasing the participation of Bangladeshi peacekeepers in UN missions as well as Bangladesh's representation in the policy-making process.
The army chief informed the UN officials that no army personnel will be selected for peacekeeping missions if they are found to be involved in human rights violations during their service in RAB forces.
Mentioning many positive aspects of the interim government and army's initiatives for developing socio-economic conditions and ensuring law order situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Army chief highlighted the ongoing activities of the Bangladesh Army in line with the directions of the incumbent government.
He also informed them about operating hospitals and clinics by Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingents engaged in various missions to ensure healthcare for the local people.
They also discussed exchanging peacekeeping training among the countries participating in the mission and other issues, including enhancing operational capabilities.
The army chief visited the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in New York and paid a courtesy call on the permanent representative.
