& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Keeping peacekeepers in touch on terrain with no connectivity

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla, back from Mali
For an average Bangladeshi, it's hard to imagine a life without connectivity. Even people living in some of the remotest villages in Bangladesh now have access to the internet via mobile phone network.
But the reality is completely different in the West African country Mali, where over 1,000 members of Bangladeshi armed forces are currently on peacekeeping duties on behalf of the United Nations.
The Saharan desert nation might be eight times bigger than Bangladesh, but only the capital city of Bamako has mobile connectivity in the true sense of the word.
There is an acute power crisis as well -apart from the capital city, the concept of uninterrupted electricity is unheard of in the other urban areas.
What this means for peacekeeping operations is that short-range radio remains the only viable form of connectivity during security drives in the remote areas and also on the move.
Communication with family depends on VOIP, centrally controlled at 2/3 specific points of the contingent but half of the time it remains disconnected, they said.
During operations they remain
connected via walkie-talkies within 1.5km distance. For long-distance communication, they depend on signal contingent long-range radio relay.
Location tracking, GPS connection, logistic support, casualty evacuation and reinforcement during eventualities depend on signal communication.
For a country like Mali where risks of
getting blown off by hidden landmines, being hit by rocket launchers, or ambushed by militants are frequent, these have grave implications.
Therefore, since 2013, Bangladesh arm/s signal corps has been setting up and maintaining both short and long-range connectivity."From May 15, 2019 until August, the Bangladesh contingent organised a total of 1,602 video conferences in addition to the regular internet chores of sending emails and so on," Maj SM Khairul Alam, one of the operation officers of the Mali UN peacekeeping mission, told this reporter.
A total of 160 members of the signal corps give constant support to Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Mali. They build, operate and maintain temporary mobile phone and radio networks.
"No peacekeeper is allowed to move without walkie-talkie or tele-radio. In fact, it is impossible to go anywhere without these because they are the only forms of communication tool available. If we lose radio contact with a peacekeeper, we assume he is in some kind of trouble," said Lt Col Mohammad Manzur Hossain, contingent commander of BANSIG.
He said the main challenge is to keep the network active in inclement weather. "Due to sand storms, generators sometimes become dysfunctional," he said.
The extreme climatic conditions of a desert also make operating communication devices very difficult. Sudden desert storms often destroy devices and networks. Also, because there is virtually no electricity for operating devices, peacekeepers have to carry heavy generators when they go on operations in remote areas.
"Every time a team goes on a security drive to a remote area, a Mobile Communication Post (MCP) accompanies them. They carry heavy devices with them. Wherever they set up camps, they establish long-distance connectivity with base camp," said Corporal Md Enam Hossain, a Bangladeshi peacekeeper.
The members of the signal corps do everything they can to make sure that their fellow soldiers remain connected with others all the time - this is an important prerequisite to remain alive in the restive deserts of Mali.
Ironically, despite putting in so much hard work to keep their colleagues connected, they remain disconnected from their families in Bangladesh for months, because international long-distance connectivity via internet is literally a luxury in Mali.
"We operate the radio room with the close coordination of Bangladeshi peacekeepers. They are helping us a lot," Captain Smarika Shahi, a military staff officer in Mali, said.