Dhaka, Aug 06: Bangladesh, one of the largest contributors to United Nations peace missions, is to send troops to strife-torn Liberia, officials said today. They said the first group of troops would leave for Liberia in October.
Foreign Minister Morshed Khan told a television channel yesterday that the decision to send a brigade was taken following a request from United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Officials said Dhaka received the UN request on Tuesday and agreed immediately.
"A team will visit Liberia to decide... the final shape to the Bangladesh contingent," a defence source said.
Bangladesh has peacekeepers stationed in a number of countries, including Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and western Sahara.
So far Bangladesh has taken part in 26 UN peace keeping missions in 25 countries, involving 24,726 troops.
A 300-strong Nigerian advance peacekeeping force arrived in Liberia earlier this week to begin enforcing a ceasefire between forces loyal to President Charles Taylor and the main rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy. Bureau Report