Dhaka:A total of 177 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving in global peacekeeping missions, according to Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. He shared this information during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, responding to a question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Abdul Gafur.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister also addressed inquiries regarding the development of the Bangladesh Army. In response to National Citizen Party MP Atiqur Rahman Mujahid, he detailed various government initiatives aimed at modernizing the Army, including the procurement of advanced military equipment through government-to-government arrangements with technologically advanced nations such as the United States, Russia, China, Trkiye, and Pakistan.
The discussion in Parliament also involved other ministers responding to different questions. Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu revealed that between the financial years 2011-12 and 2025-26, a total of 494,869 families had been allocated 122,544.307 acres of agricultural khas land. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid reported that over 1,193 high-yielding and stress-tolerant crop varieties had been developed by researchers to ensure food and nutrition security.
Additionally, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat announced plans to construct a new international airport near Dhaka to accommodate future passenger and cargo demands. Forest and Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo addressed issues concerning illegal forest land occupation, stating that joint eviction drives were underway to recover the occupied areas.