Shawdesh desk:

Bangladesh has in principle agreed for the co-deployment of Bangladeshi and Gambian troops in a suitable UN peacekeeping mission, following the permission of the United Nations.

Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday in principle agreed to work on a proposal of Gambia in this regard, when a Gambian delegation, led by its minister of foreign affairs Mamadou Tangara met her at her official residence Ganabhaban.

PM’s speech writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.

Mamadou, who is now visiting Bangladesh as special envoy of the president of Gambia Adama Barrow, handed over a request letter of the Gambian president to Hasina over the co-deployment of troops.

The PM said the co-deployment of forces could be made following preparation of a Standard Operating Procedure between two sides and getting permission from the United Nations.

The Gambian minister of foreign affairs, international cooperation and Gambians abroad highly praised the development of Bangladesh, particularly in the agriculture sector and its contribution to the worldwide peace-building.

The Gambian minister said Bangladesh was a small country having a large population, but there was no food shortage in the country.

In this context, the prime minister said Bangladesh and Gambia could cooperate in the agriculture sector.

Noting that the African nation had a vast land, she said that the Gambian lands could be cultivated under joint venture with Bangladeshi manpower and technology for mutual benefit.

She said that Bangladesh was a food deficit country in the past, but the country attained food autarky as her government made enough investment in the agriculture sector, particularly research.

The PM said Bangladesh was the highest troops contributing country in the UN peacekeeping missions. Bangladesh wants peace throughout the world.

Hasina said her government had taken a policy not to leave a single piece of land uncultivated and the people were very responsive to the policy in order to raise food production now.

Turning to the Rohingya issue, the PM thanked and praised Gambia for standing beside the displaced people from Myanmar.

She said Bangladesh gave shelter to Rohingya people on humanitarian ground and would continue taking care of the displaced people during their stay in Bangladesh.

In 2019, Gambia filed a case with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the United Nations’ highest court, alleging that Myanmar was breaching the genocide convention.

Gambian defence minister Sering Modou Njie, foreign senior secretary Masud Bin Momen, principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman and PMO secretary Mohammad Salahuddin were present during the meeting.