Why Bangladesh Is Saving The World

August 5, 2015 in Daily Bulletin

Which country does the most to save the world? There is a case to be made for Bangladesh writes Laura Secorun Palet who explained why the country contributes the most troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations:

  • Bangladesh notes that it has topped the list of contributor nations to peacekeeping missions for 26 years due to its interest in seeing peace around the world.
  • The country may also want to keep the military – which is prone to orchestrating coups – far from the country where they pose less of a threat.
  • There is also the hope that these missions will spread democratic ideals among the troops.
  • It is a source of revenue for the government. Bangladeshi troops have a starting salary of $193, while the UN pays $1,028 for their services. The government keeps the difference.
  • This is estimated to have contributed $1.28 billion to state coffers between 2001 and 2010.
  • It’s unclear if Bangladesh can keep it up though. The UN increasingly wants soldiers trained in using sophisticated equipment – something that Bangladeshi troops aren’t the best at.

Read some of the ethical questions this arrangement raises, other countries that contribute personnel to missions, and more over here.

Source: Ozy/Yahoo News