UNMIL'S Bangladeshi Troops, Commander In Rural Liberia Named Peacekeepers and Commander of the Year, 2006

J. Cholo Brooks

As Liberia enjoys relatively peace including its citizens and foreign residents, through the efforts the UNMIL, several of its troops have gone beyond their peacekeeping duties.

One of these troops is the Bangladeshi contingent assigned in rural Liberia, specifically in Nimba County under the professional commend of Lt Col Md Abdul Hoque, psc of UNMIL BANBAT 10, as Cholo Brooks reports, this group has been named as Peacekeeping troop of the Year, 2006.

Some of the United Nations troops mending peace in Liberia are said to have transformed their peacekeeping method to empowering Liberians for a better future, following fifteen years of bloody civil war in that country, which led to the destruction of the country's infrastructural and the lost of over 500,000 lives.One of these troops is the South/Eastern Asian Country of Bangladesh, which formed part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to restore peace in this West African States of Liberia.

The Bangladeshi troop, known as BANBAT-10 assigned in Nimba County is said to be spear-heading a humanitarian campaign to help the people of the county, by empowering them to acquire vocational training programs in the areas of Computer literacy, Tailoring, Basic Training on Electrical Wiring and the Repairing of Generator and Carpentry.

This contingent has transformed its military techniques of peacekeeping to providing 'free services' to enable war-ravaged people of Nimba County to be self-sufficient both in securing vocational skills to making them better and trained individuals for the future, and to be able to feed themselves, in the area of food security.

During a tour in the County over the weekend by the Liberian Times Correspondent, it was observed that the BANBAT-10 Contingent under the command of Lt./Col. Md. Abdul Hoque was seen providing several skills training programs to many of the youths, ex-combatants and some senior officials of Government of the county, including both the City Mayor of Ganta, Madam Norhn Tensonon and the District Commission, madam Emma Konah were all beneficiaries of the BANBAT-10 computer literacy training program.According to Lt./Col. Hoque, the skills training programs for the people is not only focusing on Ganta alone, but rather in five other towns, including Sanniquellie, Yekepa, Saclepea, Loguatu and Biala, adding, "the objective of this skills training program is to afford all the citizens of Nimba County.

Now the war is over, what is needed now, is for them to utilize the talents God has given them for the betterment of themselves", Col. Hoque told the Liberian Times.What interest our Correspondent during his tour in Nimba County was that the Bangladeshi Contingent was not involved in vocational skills training programs, but was also interested in food security for the people of the County, a large farm in the town of Kpein was seen being cleared by the BANBAT-10 to enable the people of the area to wisely get involve in large scale rice and vegetable production.

During the first official graduation last month from some of the training courses, offered by the contingent, several government officials including the Deputy UNMIL boss Luiz Carlos Da Costa praised the high command of BANBAT-10 for its farsightedness in preparing the youths of Nimba County to acquire skills training program, and further lauded the contingent for the Kpein town farm project.

On the farm both men and women were seen joyously making use of their farming talents, like this woman, Mary Gongloe, "we are happy for the Bangladeshi troop. These guys are good; making us to get involve in the production of our own food. They have provided us with farming tools, including tractor to help us do the clearing, while at the same time encouraging us to help ourselves", another beneficiary in a jolly mood on the farm told our correspondent.

It is somehow difficult to comprehend the high level of understanding between the people of Nimba and the entire military force of BANBAT-10, due to the cordial relationship that existing, "These guys are indeed friendly and have taken us to be part of them, the only difference is they are while and we are black", another beneficiary in a happy mood told the Liberian Times.Many of those who spoke to our Correspondent, said they hope other contingents in the UNMIL service would follow the positive example of the Bangladeshi contingent in Nimba County, "the BANBAT-10 humanitarian contribution to Nimba County needs to be emulated by others peacekeepers in the UNMIL.

If most of them are doing, like the troop from Bangladesh, especially the BANBAT-10 is doing this country will be on its right-footing in both food production and vocational acquisition by war weary Liberians", the City Major of Ganta, Norhn Tensonon said. Due to the numerous humanitarian efforts of this troop, the Global News Network is pleased to give this aware to the troop as "PEACEKEEPERS OF THE YEAR".