Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman yesterday said Bangladesh has earned global recognition for its contributions to peacekeeping and remains firmly committed to upholding international peace through continued participation in UN missions.

The UN human rights chief made the revelation in a BBC HARDtalk interview on Wednesday

UN human rights chief's visit to Dhaka revealed contrasting expectations on the part of the government and rights groups.

When one walks through the entrance to the Bangladesh Rapidly Deployable Battalion headquarters in Bunia of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first thing that catches the eye is a huge plaque that says "Peace begins with a smile".

Between 1996 and 2006, they flaunted red headbands or guerilla caps with a red star. Seven years after the peace deal, some of them started wearing peaked caps after their integration into the Nepal Army. More than 80 of them now are all set to wear blue helmets. This is former Maoist fighters’ transition—from making war to keeping peace.

Bangladesh is recognized as one of the leading contributors to peacekeeping operations around the globe.

The UN will honour more than 100 “blue helmets”, including eight Bangladeshis, who lost their lives while serving the cause of peace.