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Amid bullets, mortar shells

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, back from Mali
A series of small, bullet-riddled structures, enclosed by bulky sandbags, are the only thing that act as a break from the desolation deep in the middle of the Sahara in the northwest of Mali.
When the Bangladeshi peacekeepers first arrived here in 2013, there was hardly any accommodation for them. And like any other deployment they had to first secure the safety of the Kidal Super Camp, the sole structure in the area.
The Bangladesh peacekeepers have been toiling relentlessly to create a livable situation for the peacekeepers from many other countries.
"Safety is the first concern in any mission. Bangladesh Army engineers played a very crucial role in building a safe camp here,” Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Sharrif Manee, Bangladesh Engineering contingent commander at Kidal Super Camp, told The Daily Star in the camp.
Manee, who arrived in Mali a few months ago, said inclement weather, excessive heat, low humidity and sandstorms were natural challenges but the most dreadful were attacks from terrorists and armed groups.
The Kidal camp bears marks from such attacks, as bullet holes can be seen in close proximity to craters left by mortal shells.
"Usually, peacekeepers are not targeted as we have seen in other missions. But here the peacekeepers are one of the main targets," Manee said.
For this, the heavy blue helmets the peacekeepers wear are complemented by bullet proof vests, an ensemble which has to be worn at all times in the camp. The threat level is so high that every single structure, accommodation and bunker, is surrounded by sandbags.
Various terrorist groups operating in the area pose a serious threat to the 70,000 locals living in Kidal, which is in the northern heart of the Malian Sahara.
A total of 11 Bangladeshi army personnel were killed and 23 were injured during the peacekeeping mission in Mali since the beginning of the mission in 2013.
"They are doing very good job according to first protection. The
situation is very complex here. We face complex attack by terrorist and armed groups. That is why we need to protect ourselves within our super camp and our bases. It is the Bangladesh engineers, who are building and ensuring, this first protection," Major General Amadou Kane, deputy force commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), said.
All the notable installations in Kidal are basically bunkers and those were built by the Bangladesh Army's engineering section.
"fhe inner and outer security perimeter is mostly constructed by Bangladesh Army engineers in cooperation with the MINUSMAengineering sections," said Manee.
Construction work amid the scorching heat is difficult task but it becomes even more intolerable in this sea of sand. The scorching heat is such that even gusts whipped up by helicopters sear the skin. The hot dry terrain is indeed a frightening prospect for the uninitiated.
The Bangladeshi army engineers are now constructing accommodations for military officers, a drainage system, an approach road and blast protection area.
Major Md Ruhul Amin, operations and project officer; said they also construct base and accommodations for UN troops of other countries.
"In coordination with the MINUSMA engineering section, Bangladeshi engineers constructed the
Chad battalion, Togo level 2 hospital, sector headquarters, three MSO villages and Nepal explosive ordinance disposal company," he said.
Bangladeshi soldiers have to go to desert to collect sand and soil and carry it back to the site whenever they are building something.
"We have to go to the construction site with the protocol of armoured personnel cars and full security protection," Major Ferdous Hasan said.
Inside the camp, there is a hospital which provides health services to the peacekeepers along with provisions for minor surgeries.
"We provide free medicine to our peacekeepers and also conduct medical camps for the locals as a good gesture," said Lt Col ABM Aminoor Rashid.
The desert storms, of which not much is spoken, is another terrifying part of the daily routine. There were two such storms during this correspondent's visit to the camp.
"The weather is so unpredictable that many operations are disrupted due to inclement weather," said Major Sarah Shehnaz Bipasha, platoon commander, Kidal Super Camp.
She also said they had to wear desert sunglasses and desert masks more or less all the time.
There is no mobile network and the Wi-Fi connection is also very poor. So communication with family members is tough.
Those, however, are challenges the peacekeepers meet head on, while they remain focused on the difficult task ahead of them.
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