Dhaka:
The United Nations headquarters has decided to withdraw 1,313 Bangladeshi peacekeepers from five UN missions, including personnel from the army, navy, and air force.
On 14 October, Acting Military Adviser of the UN Peacekeeping Operations, Lieutenant General Sheryl Peirse, informed Bangladesh’s military adviser through a letter sent via the country’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
The letter, signed by OMA Chief of Staff Captain Lonie Fields Jr. and drafted by Lieutenant Colonel Md. Tanvir Alam, head of the Military Peace Operations Support Branch, explained that the move follows the UN Secretary-General’s directive to implement a 15% budget cut for peacekeeping operations. As a result, funding for uniformed personnel will be reduced by 15%, leading to a decrease in field-level peacekeepers.
According to the Military Affairs Office, the reduction will be most significant in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), with 617 personnel withdrawn. Other reductions include:
MINUSCA (Central African Republic): 341 personnel
UNISFA (Abyei, Sudan): 268 personnel
MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of the Congo): 79 personnel
MINURSO (Western Sahara): 8 personnel
The letter also highlighted coordination with the UN’s logistics, uniformed capabilities support, and mission support divisions, assuring Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission that any changes to the plan will be communicated promptly. The UN reaffirmed its commitment to close cooperation with Bangladesh in achieving shared peace and operational objectives.
Earlier, Bangladesh’s 180-member police contingent, including 70 women officers and the UN’s only all-female police unit, was instructed to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo by November. This unit was deployed only two months ago.
Bangladesh’s participation in UN peacekeeping began in 1988 with 15 observers in the Iraq-Iran Military Observer Group. The Bangladesh Police joined in 1989, followed by the Navy and Air Force in 1993. To date, Bangladesh has participated in 63 missions across 43 regions, involving 178,743 personnel. Currently, 5,619 Bangladeshi peacekeepers serve in 10 regions worldwide.
