The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has just concluded an official visit to Bangladesh. During the visit, Ban Ki-moon met with the President, the Chief Adviser, high officials, political leaders and took stock of the preparation for the ensuing election. He also paid a visit to the UNDP-funded Comprehensive Disaster Management Project. Ban Ki-moon praised the heroic struggles of the people in defence of their language and for attaining independence. He praised Bangladesh for its laudable achievements in such fields as population control, micro-credit and gender parity in education. With more than 9,000 army and police personnel serving the peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh is the second largest troops contributing country to the UN, Ban Ki-moon noted.

The United Nations has been a strategic development partner of Bangladesh. UNDP has been working in different fields including human resources development, poverty reduction, climate change and disaster management, and achievement of Millennium Development Goals for economic and social development in Bangladesh. Ban Ki-moon assured that the UN system would remain Bangladesh's close partner in facing challenges ahead.

As a world body the United Nations deals with inter-governmental issues, crises and conducts humanitarian missions. It works for maintaining international peace and security and solving disputes among nations by peaceful means. In very recent years, however, the role of the UN resident mission in Dhaka came under critical review both in Bangladesh and abroad. Hopefully the UN Secretary General has taken note of the criticisms of his organisation. The head of the world body is expected to make sure that UN officials would not invite any such criticism in future through involvement in any form in local socio-political affairs. UN personnel must remain above controversy, be equally acceptable to all and thus preserve the image of the world body.