First Time In UN History: Biman carries Bangladeshi peacekeepers

For the first time in the United Nations Peacekeeping history, the UN chartered a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, the flagship carrier of the country, for carrying Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

This comes as a true recognition of Bangladesh's invaluable contribution to the UN Peacekeeping operations for more than three decades, said Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations yesterday.

The Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN remained deeply engaged with the UN Headquarters for coordination and finalisation of the agreement, which culminated in achieving this milestone.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Biman flight carrying a contingent of 179 Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers from Bangladesh Army and Air Force departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka for the capital city of Central African Republic, Bangui.

The contingent is composed of 125 members of the Armed Utility Helicopter Unit, 20 members of the Advance Party of Quick Reaction Force Company, and 34 members of Stranded Peacekeepers.

Currently, 6,543 Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers are deployed in nine several missions, among them 1,061 are working in MINUSCA, which started operation on April 10, 2014.