US Conspiracy To Keep Bangladesh Out Of UN Peacekeeping Mission – OpEd
By Professor Dr. Arun Kumar Goswami
A purposeful report on the Bangladesh Army and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been published in the German news media Deutsche Welle (DW). The contentious DW video that aired soon after the United States placed travel restrictions on former army chief Aziz Ahmed is perceived as a ridiculous attempt to dissuade the United Nations from employing Bangladeshi peacekeepers. Observers are considering this as a new conspiracy to exclude Bangladesh from the UN peacekeeping mission. DW published the report on Tuesday, May 21, titled “Torturers deployed in UN Peacekeeping Mission”. Controversial journalist (currently living in Sweden) Tasneem Khalil’s organization Netra News has collaborated in the preparation of the report.
At the beginning of DW’s report, some videos of Bangladesh army and police personnel’s training for UN peacekeeping missions were shown. Then started serving purposeful and false information. Some statements change the tone of voice of DW to claim that they once worked for RAB. But their appearance is far away, even their names and identities are not mentioned. Assuming for the sake of argument, their faces are not shown or identified for security reasons. But the question may arise whether there is any such person or not? Or is it all like a jumbled confusing lump? Some people say that this video can be called a fake video. It cannot be called information film or documentary! In this DW video, Meenakshi Ganguly deputy director of Human Rights Watch(HRW)’s Asia Division, can be heard saying that officials accused of human rights abuses should not be sent to UN peacekeeping mission. It may be mentioned that HRW is a New York(US) based organization.
However, at the end of the report, it showed some pictures of the 2009 suppression of the Tamil insurgency and called for the suspension of the Sri Lankan UN peacekeeping mission due to the appointment of General Shavendra Silva, who was accused of human rights violations at the time, as the head of the Sri Lankan army. But is the situation in Bangladesh like the 2009 civil war in SriLanka? Certainly not! So, question arises, why the anti-Bangladesh group has gone into action to stop sending of Bangladeshi troops to the UN peacekeeping mission?
In 1988, Bangladesh started sending troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping mission by sending a group of officers to the Military Observers Group during the Iran-Iraq War. Years of this brilliant participation have passed. Since then, Bangladesh has been working in the United Nations mission with efficiency and reputation.
Praise for the UN Blue Helmets is now global. The history of bravery and sacrifice of the members of Bangladesh while performing the mission duties is also quite long. In 2005, nine Bangladeshi members of the United Nations peacekeeping mission were brutally shot dead in Congo. So far, 166 Bangladeshi soldiers have lost their lives in the United Nations peacekeeping mission.
Peacekeepers of Bangladesh are standing high in the world court by maintaining the highest professionalism in maintaining peace in different African countries. As a result of professional attitude, contribution and sacrifice, Bangladesh has consolidated its position as the top peace keeping country. Bangladesh has been recognized by the United Nations several times for its glorious role. But despite having so many positive aspects, DW in collaboration with Netra News are conspiring one after another to please whom and for what purpose? Just before International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on May 29, with the help of the United States, are they running the steps to exclude Bangladesh from the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission? Experts see the Deutsche Welle report as a deep conspiracy based on the unproven and weak data.