Due to a severe funding crisis in the United Nations peacekeeping missions, at least 1,313 Bangladeshi peacekeepers will be brought back home within the next nine months.
As part of an emergency cost-cutting plan involving a 15% budget reduction, the UN has decided to withdraw Bangladeshi peacekeepers from five missions. The UN Department of Peace Operations’ Office of Military Affairs (OMA) sent an official letter on October 14 to Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission in New York regarding this decision.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has instructed the implementation of a 15% budget cut across peacekeeping operations due to ongoing financial challenges. Although this does not directly order personnel reductions, the letter notes that the budget cut will effectively result in a significant drop in the number of peacekeepers deployed in the field.
According to the UN letter, Bangladesh’s troop numbers will be reduced in five missions:
South Sudan (UNMISS): 617 members
Central African Republic (MINUSCA): 341 members
Abyei, Sudan (UNISFA): 268 members
Congo (MONUSCO): 79 members
Western Sahara (MINURSO): 8 members
The letter further assured that if any changes to this plan affect Bangladesh, the OMA will inform the Permanent Mission promptly.
Earlier, on October 9, AFP reported that the UN planned to cut one-fourth of its global peacekeeping forces across nine missions due to a shortfall in funding, largely caused by reduced U.S. contributions.
According to AFP, the 2025–26 UN peacekeeping budget totals $5.4 billion, but the U.S. contribution will drop from $1.3 billion to about $682 million.
Currently, Bangladesh ranks as the third-largest peacekeeping troop-contributing country. Bangladesh began its journey in UN peacekeeping in 1988, and as of August 31, a total of 5,696 peacekeepers, including 444 women, are serving in 10 missions worldwide.
Over the past 35 years, 168 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have lost their lives and at least 257 have been injured in the line of duty.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Bangladeshi peacekeepers have successfully completed 63 missions in 43 countries and territories, with 178,743 members of the armed forces participating. Since 1989, the Bangladesh Police have also been part of UN peacekeeping, participating in 26 missions across 24 countries with a total of 21,815 police officers. So far, 24 police members have sacrificed their lives while serving in these missions.