Bangladesh Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed held meetings with UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare. During the meetings General Aziz Ahmed reiterated Bangladesh’s steadfast commitment and continued support to the UN peace operations. He called for deployment of more Bangladeshi peacekeepers in peacekeeping missions globally. Army Chief also requested for appointing more Bangladeshi officers in senior positions of UN peace operations and UN Headquarters.

At the meeting, held on Tuesday (Feb 9), UN Under-Secretary-General Lacroix appreciated the professionalism, discipline, dedication and bravery of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers deployed in different UN peacekeeping missions. He thanked the government of Bangladesh for its enormous contribution to UN peace operations. Bangladesh now ranks as the top troops and police contributing country in the world. Mr Lacroix assured Army Chief of his support for deploying more Bangladeshi peacekeepers in future, a press release said.

In his meeting with Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Operational Support, on Monday (Feb 8) Army Chief General Aziz thanked him for enlisting Bangladesh Biman as a carrier of UN peacekeepers. USG Atul Khare thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her invaluable contribution to peacekeeping, climate change, women empowerment and humanitarian issues. He also thanked the Government of Bangladesh for its significant role in transporting UN peacekeepers by Bangladesh Biman in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic. They also talked on the issues of Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air force and Bangladesh Police in UN Peace operations.

Apart from the above meetings, Bangladesh Army chief also met with Lieutenant General Carlos Humberto Loitey, Military Adviser for UN Peacekeeping Operations on Tuesday. On the same day, the Chief of Army Staff held a meeting with Ambassador Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative (PR) of Bangladesh to the United Nations. The PR briefed the Army Chief on various aspects of Bangladesh's engagements in the United Nations.

General Aziz Ahmed thanked Ambassador Rabab Fatima for her leadership to promote Bangladesh at the UN, especially in peacekeeping affairs. The Chief of Army Staff was accompanied by Major General Jubaer Salehin, Commandant, Defense Services Command and Staff College and Brigadier General Md Sadequzzaman, Defense Adviser of Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

General Aziz Ahmed is on official visit to the United States since January 29 at the invitation of the United States Government.