Bangladesh, a crowded developing nation with a relatively small area, is the world’s largest donor of troops to the United Nation’s peacekeeping forces. The number of American troops in peace keeping mission is only 80[i]. Bangladeshi soldiers make up almost a tenth of the total UN troops, is surprising. Last September, when Joe Biden, Vice-President of the USA, convened UN summit on peacekeeping operations, Bangladesh was a co-host. Bangladesh’s performance was not only welcomed, it now trains other countries’ troops.

Before we examine the reasons behind the dominant role of Bangladesh in global peacekeeping, let us first understand some issues. Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations as a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the organisation as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peace-building and peace-making. Peace-making is the several types of mediation, usually between two parties and involving a third, a facilitator or mediator. Peace-building includes a wide range of efforts by diverse actors in government and civil society at the community, national and international levels to address the root causes of violence before, during, and after violent conflict. Being engaged in Peacekeeping operations, peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they may have signed. Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening the rule of law, and economic and social development. UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.

Every peacekeeping mission consists of police, troops and military experts. Once a peace treaty has been negotiated, the parties involved might ask the United Nations for a peacekeeping force to oversee various elements of the agreed upon plan. This is often done because a group controlled by the United Nations is less likely to follow the interests of any one party. If the Security Council approves the creation of a mission, then the Department of Peacekeeping Operations begins planning for the necessary elements. At this point, the senior leadership team is selected.

The department will then seek contributions from member nations. Since the UN has no standing force or supplies, it must form ad hoc coalitions for every task undertaken. While the peacekeeping force is being assembled, a variety of diplomatic activities are being undertaken by UN officials. The exact size and strength of the force must be agreed to by the government of the nation whose territory the conflict is on. The Rules of Engagement must be developed and approved by both the parties involved and the Security Council. These give the specific mandate and scope of the mission (e.g. when may the peacekeepers, if armed, use force, and where may they go within the host nation). When all agreements are in place, the required personnel are assembled, and final approval has been given by the Security Council, the peacekeepers are deployed to the region in question. All member states are legally obliged to pay their share of peacekeeping costs under a complex formula that they themselves have established.

Bangladesh Armed Forces and Bangladesh Police have been actively involved in a number of United Nations Peace Support Operations (UNPSO) since its formation in the 1970s. Its first deployments came in 1988, when it participated in two operations — UNIIMOG in Iraq and UNTAG in Namibia[ii]. Bangladesh police force first contributed to UN peacekeeping in 1989 through the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. Since then Bangladeshi police officers have participated in all the major peacekeeping missions where the UN has deployed police. Between 2001 and (April) 2014, there has been an 890% increase in the number of Bangladeshi police personnel in UN missions, surpassing 2,000 officers in 2011[iii]. Currently, 9398 Bangladeshis are engaged in the peacekeeping operations with 1221 police, 71 military experts and 8496 troops[iv].

Why would a poor nation be so keen to send troops to the world’s most dangerous regions? The answer is a blend of multiple factors. Bangladesh has a long commitment to peace and sees UN peacekeeping as a way to improve the country’s image and increase its soft power. Plus, being the world’s watchdog gives Dhaka extra diplomatic leverage within the UN system. Having peacekeepers abroad may also help keep the peace at home. It is based on the popular belief that the armed forces’ involvement in peacekeeping missions will imbibe them with democratic values. But many see a much simpler motivation behind Bangladesh’s peacekeeping efforts: money. Bangladeshi military and police services’ salaries are much lower than UN ones. According to the Bangladesh government, between 2001 and 2010, the country received $1.28 billion from the UN as compensation for its peacekeeping operations. Between 2012 and 2013, another $72 million was earned through salaries, equipment and other types of compensation7. However, to actuate the success in the field of peacekeeping, in the past two decades, Bangladesh has lost more than 120 soldiers in various peacekeeping missions. Bangladesh may not stay the largest troop donor forever — the UN keeps asking for increasingly sophisticated technology, and it may struggle to meet the requirements. But for now, this tiny tot of the globe remains the world’s unsung peacekeeping champion.

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Writer: Assistant Superintend (Probationer), Bangladesh Police

He can be reached at: ashik.34@gmail.com