UN asked to return Bangladeshi forces

Blitz Exclusive
March, 2009
http://www.weeklyblitz.net/index.php?id=506

United Nations [UN] has been asked to send back members of Bangladesh Armed Forces and police
from the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces [UNPKF].
According to information, one Susan Ramgopalan sent letters to the Secretary General and other
officials of United Nations on March 15, 2009 titled ‘Islamist inside UN Peace Keeping Force’, where
she referring to the recent statement by Bangladeshi Commerce Minister, Lt. Col. [Retired] Faruk
Khan, requested the UN Secretary General to send back all the participating members of Bangladesh
Armed Forces and Police in the UNPKF for possible militancy connections.
In the letter, Susan Ramgopalan said, “It has come to my attention that one of the front ranking leaders
in Bangladesh’s ruling party, Awami League, member of the Cabinet and Member of Parliament, Lt.
Col. Faruk Khan recently told reporters that Islamist militants like Jamiatul Mujuhidin (JMB) has
penetrated into country’s border security forces.
”It is noteworthy that officers of border security forces are deputed from country’s armed forces. Under
such authoritative statement from a senior member of the Bangladesh government, it is greatly assumed
that there are unknown number of Islamist militants even within the other disciplined forces, including
army and police.
”United Nations had been welcoming members of Bangladesh Armed Forces and Police for quite some
time. But, after the latest statement from the government side, the question of security of continuing
services of such elements with militancy ties would not only jeopardize the safety and security of the
countries of their activities, but it may even give the militancy linked members of Bangladesh Armed
Forces and Police in staging various forms of sabotaging activities in the foreign countries.
”Under such situation, further recruitment of Bangladeshi forces both from army and police should be
stopped while an immediate scrutiny should begin to identify the militancy linked members of
Bangladesh Armed Forces and Police inside United Nations Peace Keeping Forces and be immediately
expelled from such sensitive task.”
It is also learnt that, anti-Bangladesh quarters are actively trying to press forward the issue of militant
connection of Bangladesh Armed Forces, Police and other disciplined forces, with the motive of
tarnishing the image of the country. They [vested quarters] get specific prove in favor of their
allegation, as the Commerce Minister in Bangladesh has repeatedly told this matter to the media as well
as some other ministers are also echoing the same information.
“This is a dangerous trend, which will project Bangladesh as a Taliban state to the international
community”, said a counter-terrorism experts commenting on the statement of the commerce minister
and other members of the present government.