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Before committing any troops to the peacekeeping in war-torn Lebanon, Bangladesh is waiting to see the United Nations (UN) terms of reference for deployment of 15,000 troops in south Lebanon to monitor the ceasefire, reports UNB.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution Friday calling for immediate halt to all hostilities and a series of steps leading to a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution.
This will be done by creating a new buffer zone in south Lebanon free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The UNIFIL, deployed in 1978, now has 2,000 troops. The UNSC resolution will expand it to a maximum 15,000.
The foreign ministry in Dhaka is in touch with its Permanent Representative in the UN Ambassador Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury to know the details of the UNSC mandate and terms of reference for the new deployment of troops under the UNIFIL.
"We're in touch with our permanent representative in the UN. We want to know the terms of reference of new deployment in Lebanon before taking any decision," Foreign Minister (FM) M Morshed Khan told the news agency.
Bangladesh, the largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping missions across the world, have not yet worked under the UNIFIL.
Regarding enforcement of the UNSC decisions, there are two ways: one is without involving the armed forces under Article 41, Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, and another is taking action by air, sea or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security under Article 42.
Bangladesh have been operating as blue helmet peacekeepers under the UN Peacekeeping missions. "We don't want to go anywhere to shoot at some one or to get shot," the FM said.
Till Wednesday no Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member country has yet made any commitment to contribute troops to the proposed expanded UNIFIL. Each troops contributing Muslim country is waiting to see the UNSC mandate and terms of reference.
Diplomatic sources indicated that Bangladesh might not send its troops in a situation where they might be required to shoot for implementing the ceasefire in south Lebanon.
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