Thousands of miles away from home, in the service of peace in South Sudan. It is clear to for all to see the pride and beaming smiles of the 850 Bangladeshi peacekeepers when they received UN medals for their commitment to serve the organization and the people of the country.

An advanced team of 255 troops was deployed in Wau and Kuajok in February 2017. In August last year, they were joined by almost 600 colleagues, which made the Bangladeshi contingent reach its full capacity.

Brigadier General Nain Raj Dahal, Sector West Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, is pleased with their performance.

“The peacekeepers have exhibited professionalism and I am really impressed to see their outstanding military skills,” the Brigadier General said.

The peacekeepers have been robustly involved in short and long-range patrols, providing security for people living at the protection of civilian site in Wau and elsewhere. In addition, Bangladeshi troops have protected humanitarian convoys and safeguarded UN bases and the airports in Wau and Kuajok. A fellow countryman and Military Liaison Officer was recently and senselessly killed by unknown armed men in an ambush while ensuring the safe passage of one such humanitarian convoy in the Central Equatoria region of South Sudan.

The Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Wau and Kuajok have engaged in a variety of health and social services, funded by their own country. These activities include the rendering of free basic medical and veterinary treatment, the proactive distribution of text books to schools and training women on different kinds of income-generating skills.

These nimble extracurricular activities, going beyond the call of duty, has greatly enhanced to the trust and confidence of the host communities, Sector Commander Dahal noted.

The head of a visiting Bangladeshi delegation, Major General Abul Kahir, said that his country, with 30 years of experience of serving UN peacekeeping operations, stands firmly in its support for peace across the world.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s major troop contributing countries. Currently, a total of 7,075 Bangladeshi troops and police officers are serving 11 UN peacekeeping missions.