UN Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare has praised Bangladeshi peacekeepers, saying there had been no allegation against them during the last two years.
At a press briefing in the capital’s Hotel Sonargaon yesterday, the UN official said he had received 43 allegations against peacekeepers from different countries during this time, but not a single one against Bangladeshi peacekeepers.
Khare arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a three-day visit. During his stay, he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Shahriar Alam and the acting chief of army staff.
The UN official quoted the acting chief of army staff as telling him that as far as Bangladeshi peacekeepers were concerned, they had “not zero tolerance but minus tolerance” on sexual exploitation and abuse.
On another note, Khare said the UN would arrange an event next year for Bangladeshi businesspeople to make them aware about the prospects of doing business with the global body.