Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers in war-torn Ivory Coast are unhurt but they, especially the police contingent, are at serious risk as clashes in cities continue between forces of Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo.

The French army took over the main airport of Ivory Coast yesterday while the battle for Abidjan continued for the fourth day. The death toll is now believed to be over 1,000.

All 2,000 Bangladesh army and 361 police personnel working there as UN

peacekeepers are unhurt.

According to a report of the UN mission in the West African country, the supporters of incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo fired at a UN patrol team in Abidjan city Saturday leaving four peacekeepers seriously wounded.

"It is not for the first time that the Blue Helmets are assaulted by troops of Gbagbo who lost the presidential election in November last year and is trying to retain power," the UN mission said in press release.

Sources in the Bangladesh army in Dhaka told The Daily Star yesterday that the Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Ivory Coast fire back when there is an attack and they are safe and there has been no casualties.

However, a Bangladesh police official, who is stationed in Yamoussoukro, yesterday, said, "Nobody is now safe here. The UN has relocated its civil staffs to safer places. We are in serious trouble."

Seeking prayers for Bangladesh police contingent, the officer preferring anonymity, said, "Though we are still unhurt but the situation is getting dangerous as there has been continuous fighting and sounds of gunshots are rocking the city all day and night."

He said Bangladesh police personnel are braving the bloody fighting to provide medical treatment to many injured and to protect the citizens. There is no doctor and no medicine in local hospitals because they fled to safety.

"We provided treatment to several bullet injured people since the seizure of a key port and the official capital city of Yamoussoukro by the rebel forces on March 30...

“They [rebels] are fighting to install Ivory Coast's democratically elected president and internationally recognized President Alassane Ouattara," the police official said.

He said of the 361 Bangladesh police personnel, one is in UN Police and the rest are under Formed

Police Unit.

Under the FPU, there are 180 in Abidjan and 90 policemen at Bouake airport area and another 90 in the base station in Yamoussoukro city.

They are guarding various important institutions, including the internationally recognised elected President Alassane Ouattara who stays in Gulf Hotel in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast.

Of the Bangladeshi policemen, two are Superintendent of Police, one additional SP, 12 Assistant SPs, eight inspectors while the rest are constables.

Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer, has been in turmoil for almost a decade.

It was split into a rebel-controlled north and government-controlled south after an attempted coup sparked civil war in 2002. A peace deal in March 2007 brought key rebel leaders into the administration and offered hope for a single government after years of foundering accords and disarmament plans. But the results of the November 29, 2010 presidential election made clear that deep divisions remain.

Uncertainty has reigned in the West African nation since incumbent Laurent Gbagbo disputed the outcome of presidential elections in November. Gbagbo has refused to concede and hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, who is internationally recognised as the legitimate winner.