The chief adviser made the call when UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix met him at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka.
“One thing that I encourage is the participation of more Bangladeshi women in peacekeeping missions,” Yunus said during the meeting when issues with regard to UN peacekeeping were discussed elaborately.
Bangladesh consistently ranks among the top three troop/police-contributing countries (TPCCs), with 5,677 peacekeepers across 10 of the 11 active missions.
“We don’t want to confine women in specific roles,” he said, adding the UN would support recruiting women in all aspects of peacekeeping.
The chief adviser expressed Bangladesh’s readiness to deploy additional troops and police when required, underscoring Bangladesh’s pledge of five units at the Rapid Deployment Level in the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS).
Yunus also advocated for increased Bangladeshi representation in UN peacekeeping leadership at both headquarters and field levels. The UN official said they would also support Bangladesh in this regard.
Yunus was told that a Bangladeshi delegation led by the foreign adviser would join the UN peacekeeping ministerial conference to be held in Berlin, Germany, from 13 to 14 May.
During the meeting, he also expressed concern over ongoing conflict in Myanmar and cross-border firing incidents, civilian casualties, and livelihood disruptions near the Naf River, which acts as a border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
He warned that the conflict could escalate, creating instability and security risks.
He recalled the recent visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Rohingya camps in southeast Bangladesh, saying that his visit gave Rohingyas renewed hope for a safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar.
