Bangladesh

Examining UN PKO contributions at multiple levels

“…Such a selection effect at the mission level can be further illustrated by the case of Bangladesh, the leading PKO contributor after the cold war. Case studies have demonstrated financial benefits are a key reason for Bangladesh’s enthusiasm in UN PKOs (Zaman and Biswas 2013, 2014). Nevertheless, between 1991 and 2018 the largest contributor merely participated in on average 54% of the available PKOs.…”

From peacekeepers to praetorians – how participating in peacekeeping operations may subvert democracy

“…Bangladeshi peacekeepers have played such significant peacekeeping roles in Africa's conflicts that Sierra Leone even declared Bengali the secondlanguage of the country as a token of gratitude to the efforts of Bangladeshi blue helmets. 35 Less propitiously, peacekeeping was also implicated in the 2007-08 state of emergency following the so-called 'soft coup' in early 2007. The role played by peacekeeping in the 'soft coup' was made manifest in a threat issued on January 11 2007 by the UN chief representative in the country, Renata Lok Dessallien, to shut Bangladesh out of UN peacekeeping if the military allowed disputed elections to go ahead in the face of a boycott by the-then opposition Awami League.…”

“…43 According to the Bangladeshi army's own internal documents, gross compensation across 2001-2010 amounted to US$1.28b. 44 Moreover, there is good evidence to suggest that peacekeeping continues to constitute a substantial source of revenue for individuals within the Bangladeshi military despite -and perhaps even because of -significant economic growth. 45 Citing 'a representative Bangladeshi peacekeeper', the Economist notes that the officer in question netted savings of 2 million taka (US$30,000 -enough to buy two plots of land in Bangladesh) from a 1-year tour in Côte d'Ivoire: 'He describes the tour as his pension fund, a reward for 15 years of service'.…”