Unraveling the Plot: Bangladesh Faces Rising Conspiracy ahead of International Day of UN Peacekeepers

International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers is observed on 29 May each year around the globe.

Bangladesh, an important partner in UN peacekeeping operations, observes the day with due importance. It is worth mentioning that Bangladeshi peacekeepers have built their image through their sincere and exemplary competence, earned the trust of the "Blue Helmet" family, and remained a leading troop-contributing country. For 37 years, the Bangladeshi Blue Helmets have been working with the United Nations to establish peace and security in various conflict-ridden countries worldwide. 

However, some vested groups are trying hard to slander Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the international arena. The recent sanctions against a former army chief and a campaign in foreign media questioning the peacekeepers could be part of this plot. On May 21, the German-based media outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) published a report aimed at the Bangladesh Army and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to discourage the UN from hiring peacekeepers from Bangladesh. Regarding these, security analysts believe that a new conspiracy is growing to exclude Bangladesh from the UN peacekeeping missions ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. 

What's in the report?

A day after US sanctions against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed and his family, German-based media outlet DW published a report titled 'Bangladesh: Human rights abusers go on UN missions' on the Bangladesh Army and RAB. The ill-motivated news stated that "Officers from a Bangladeshi elite unit implicated in the torture and killing of political opponents are being sent on United Nations peacekeeping missions, a joint investigation by DW, Netra News, and Süddeutsche Zeitung has revealed." 

The DW report alleged that Bangladesh, like Sri Lanka, sent human rights violators involved in torture and killings to the UN peacekeeping missions. The report unreasonably cited the example of postponing the participation of the Sri Lankan Army members back in 2009 for appointing Shavendra Silva as the army chief who was accused of human rights violation. However, the volatile situation in Sri Lanka is in no way comparable to the peaceful situation in Bangladesh. The only motive to bring the Sri Lankan example appears to be part of a campaign to remove the Bangladesh Army from the UN Peacekeeping Mission.

They also published a fabricated video on YouTube on 22 May. In the YouTube video description, DW claims that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are sending officers on peacekeeping missions who are implicated in human rights violations like torture and extrajudicial killings back home, and the UN is seemingly looking the other way. The tone and theme of the documentary are the same—that is, branding Bangladeshi security forces as human rights abusers and pushing for Bangladesh's exclusion from peacekeeping missions.

The recent DW documentary has come under fire for its misleading portrayal of Bangladesh Army personnel. The documentary appears intent on defaming the Bangladesh Army, utilizing irrelevant video footage and biased media projections. In that documentary, the producer added the statements of some unidentified law enforcement officers. This approach has severely compromised the documentary's credibility and raised questions about the motives behind its production. Considering these, some said this video can be called fiction, not a documentary.

Conspiracy targeting Bangladeshi peacekeeper

Last year, Human Rights Watch noted that the UN should require Bangladeshi officers to disclose previous deployments with RAB, then automatically bar anyone affiliated with RAB from UN peacekeeping. There is no denying the fact that HRW has long been involved in a few disinformation campaigns against Bangladesh. This US-based human rights organization tried to bring up the issue of extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh and started complaining about them one after another. In 2021, HRW reported the forced disappearance of Toha Adnan while he was hiding at the house of his friend in Gaibandha for personal reasons. Analysts believe that these are the result of anti-state actors' international lobbying.

The conspiracy of not taking people from Bangladesh in the UN peacekeeping force started long ago. Especially after all the conspiracies focused on the elections failed, they indulged in such hostile political conspiracies. It can be called a silent diplomacy of the United States. These unreasonable and unrealistic accusations by the West-funded groups are nothing but international machinations against a country like Bangladesh, which is partially admirable around the world for its democratic and human rights establishment. Moreover, this proposal by HRW and DW to ban or exclude Bangladesh from peacekeeping operations makes no sense at all. 

Over the past three decades, Bangladesh has become the topmost contributor to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. Bangladesh has successfully completed peacekeeping missions and assignments in around 43 countries and locations. Bound by the constitutional requirement to protect international peace and driven by the aspiration to create a positive image towards the international community, Bangladesh has taken a leading role in serving in UN peace operations. The dedicated service of Bangladeshi peacekeepers has earned them the epithet 'the cream of UN peacekeepers.'

Despite all the positives, there is a big question about the purpose of DW and Netra News. Some severe issues need urgent attention from global media, but the DW seems quite indifferent to issues like Palestine or Myanmar. Analysts say that internal propaganda has influenced international organizations like HRW and DW, aiming to pressure Bangladesh and discredit its contributions to UN peacekeeping missions.

The Bangladesh Army also criticized the report's publication. The force also has a spotless record with no human rights violations while serving under the UN, a distinction shared by only a few countries. It asserted that Bangladesh adheres to the United Nations' stringent selection and vetting protocols, ensuring that only the most qualified and thoroughly vetted individuals are deployed. These rigorous measures underscore the army's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and professionalism in peacekeeping missions.

In the last 37 years, Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been working with reputation, love, achievement, and success in serving world humanity. More than 6,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are still on duty to promote world peace. High-ranking UN officials, host governments, and experts on military and international affairs have lauded the role of Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their contributions. The UN has awarded thousands of Bangladeshi peacekeepers for their distinguished service. Because of its prestigious contribution, it can be assumed that a new conspiracy has been created to question the long-standing reputation of Bangladesh's peacekeepers and security forces worldwide.

Written by: Dr. Sultan Mahmud

Writer's Bio: Dr. Sultan Mahmud, Professor, Dept. of Political Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Email: smahmud@ru.ac.bd

Whatsapp: 88 01717736464

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