Bangladesh’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission: An Assessment of Its Socio-economic Implications for Participating Troops M.Phil. Thesis MD. TANVEER ISLAM M.Phil. Researcher Registration Number: 119 Session: 2014-2015 DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA, DHAKA, BANGLADESH June, 2020 Bangladesh’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission: An Assessment of Its Socio-economic Implications for Participating Troops Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Master of Philosophy to University of Dhaka Dhaka, Bangladesh by MD. TANVEER ISLAM Registration Number: 119/2014-2015 DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA, DHAKA, BANGLADESH i Dedicated to My Parents Shahida Akther Khanam Md. Amirul Islam ii Abstract This research focuses on the participation of Bangladeshi Troops in UN Peacekeeping Missions and the way that affects their socio-economic status. Bangladesh is participating in the UN Peacekeeping Mission since 1988. Since then, they actively participated in 54 UN Peacekeeping Missions and became one of the highest Troops contributing countries in UN Peacekeeping Mission in the world. This brought great honor and economic benefits for the country. The troops of Bangladesh Armed Forces contributed and sacrificed a lot to make each mission successful and to prove the potentiality of Bangladeshi Peacekeepers in the world arena. Unfortunately, no particular study was conducted on the Bangladeshi UN Peacekeepers in terms of the socio- economic implications of their participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission. However, it is essential to critically assess these socio-economic implications, which could be a guideline for the present and future peacekeepers, how they can be benefited from their participation in such missions. Moreover, this study will bring forth the urge of utilizing the social capitals gained by the troops during the UN Peacekeeping Missions in the forms of experience, confidence and communication skill in their post mission lives. Nevertheless, the unique experiences of the troops gained only by participating in UN Peacekeeping Missions can be of immense value during any national security threat or to manage disasters. This research incorporates primary and cross-sectional data for analysis because both the outcomes of the research work and the subsequent policy implications rely on the quality of data and methodology. In the present study, 200 respondents (including 20 female respondents) aged between 25 and 50 years were selected as the target group, some of whom served in mission twice (between 2010 and 2015). This target group facilitated to generate quantitative data on the operation of the household economy to an in depth enquiry. While collecting the data and related information on respondents’ identity and location, primarily a semi structured questionnaire has been used. Extensive interviews were taken to get detailed information on assets like land, crop, common asset, valuable asset, savings, various sources of income and expenditure were collected. Besides, information on loan and daily food intake of the respondents were included. However, it is argued in this research that participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions is largely making a major contribution to the participating troops of Bangladesh to strengthen and improve their own living standards, social status and economic security and solvency. Nevertheless, if Bangladesh government and Bangladesh Armed Forces authority can provide them proper guidelines about the ways they should be spending their earnings; it will help them a great deal to enhance their socio-economic status to a greater extent by participating in UN Peacekeeping Missions. iii Acknowledgements It is of immense pleasure and a great privilege for me to express my deepest sense of gratitude to my respected supervisor Dr. Sabbir Ahmed, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka for suggesting me this challenging topic, constant encouragement paired with sympathetic consideration throughout the course of the research work without which the works would have been impossible. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and special thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Kamrul Hasan, psc, E Bengal, Commanding Officer, 56 East Bengal, Bangladesh Army; Major A K M Humayun Kabir, E Bengal, Instructor, BIPSOT (Bangladesh Institute of Peacekeeping Support Operation Training); Brigadier General A K M Akhtaruzzaman, ndc, psc, Defense Advisor, Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN; Lieutenant Colonel Kazi Nadir Hossain, psc, G+, Artillery, GSO-1, ARTDOC HQ, Bangladesh Army; Lieutenant Colonel Ashraful Quader psc, E Bengal, Directing Staff, DSCSC (Defense Services Command & Staff College), Bangladesh Armed Forces; Lieutenant Colonel Md Mahmudur Rahman, psc, Engineers, Chief Grade-1, Sector East HQ, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); SP Abdullah Al Jahir, Bangladesh Police; Dr. Dilruba Chowdhury, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Uttara University; Dr. Mamun Ahmed, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka; Dr. Mahmud Hossain, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka; Dr. Nurul Amin Bepari, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka; Dr. Galib Ahsan Khan, Retired Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Dhaka; Mrs. Rashida Khan, Retired Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Dhaka. They all deserve my very special thanks and gratefulness for their valuable technical assistance in the preparation of the thesis. My beloved younger sister Afroza Akther, M.Phil. Researcher, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka was a great inspiration for my research work. Her contribution and cooperation regarding my research work was highly appreciated and unforgettable. Thanks are due to my younger brother Nasif Ahmed, Finance Graduate, North South University for helping me in the preparation of the thesis. Mr. Abdul Mannan, Senior Administrative Officer, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka; Sergeant Clerk Sultan, 56 East Bengal, Bangladesh Army; Mr. iv Mahbub Alam, Research Officer, BIMSTEC Secretariat; Ms Shaila Haque, Lecturer, Dept. of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Barishal; Mr. Faysal Ahmed, Senior Manager (Export), Partex Star Group assisted me a lot during my research work. I must not forget to acknowledge with due respect the valuable inspiration of Lieutenant Colonel Raju Ahmed, GSO-1 (Joint Operation), Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Armed Forces; Brigadier General Shah Noor Jilani ndc, psc, Deputy Commandant, East Bengal Regimental Center, Bangladesh Army and Ms Sabiha Ferdousi, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Lalmatia Girls College. Their blessings also worked on me a lot. I would like to extend my thanks to my wife, Jesmin Islam, for sharing enthusiasm for this study and for keeping me free from most of the family commitments during the work. It also gives me a great pleasure to express my gratitude, love and respect to my relatives, especially Mr. Saifullah Al Murtaza, Farhan Abid, Junan and Ananya. All thanks and praises are due to Almighty ALLAH, my glorious lord, the only Controller and Sustainer of the whole universe on whose command all help were made available to me for the successful completion of this research work. v Declaration I have the pleasure to declare that this dissertation entitled “Bangladesh’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission: An Assessment of Its Socio-economic Implications for Participating Troops” has been submitted to the department of Political Science, Dhaka University, for the degree of M.Phil., in Political Science is the outcome of my research. I, hereby, also affirm that this piece of research has neither in part nor in full been submitted to any other university or institution for the award of any degree at tertiary level or for serving any other similar purposes. Date: Md. Tanveer Islam vi Certification This is to certify that this dissertation entitled “Bangladesh’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping Mission: An Assessment of Its Socio-economic Implications for Participating Troops” has been submitted to the department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the partial fulfillment of the award of degree of M.Phil. in the department of Political Science is the original research output of the research of Md. Tanveer Islam, under my supervision. To the best of my knowledge, this piece of research has neither in part nor in full been submitted to any other university or institution for the award of any tertiary level degree or for serving any other similar purposes. In addition, I confirm that the submission of the M.Phil. thesis has been made after checking through plagiarism software. Finally, the submission has been made after a thorough review of the final draft. Dr. Sabbir Ahmed Supervisor Professor Department of Political Science University of Dhaka vii List of Tables Table Title Page No No 2.1 Ranking of Military and Police Contributions to UN Operations 21 2.2 Types and numbers of Bangladeshi Contingents (Unit/Subunit) 23 participated in UN Peacekeeping Mission (up to March 2017) 2.3 List of UN Peacekeeping Mission Bangladesh Participated (up to March 24-25 2017) 2.4 UN Reimbursement of Money (As of July 2010) 26 2.5 UN Reimbursement of Money (From 2001-02 to 2009-10) 27 2.6 UN Reimbursement of Money (From 2010-11 to 2016-17) 28 3.1 Different systems of rank