DHAKA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's first ever female combat pilots have joined a U.N. mission, authorities have said.
Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) of Bangladesh Army in a press release Sunday declared the deployment of Flight Lieutenant Nayma Haque and Flight Lieutenant Tamanna-E-Lufty at the peacekeeping mission of United Nations in Congo.
Both Nayma and Tamanna had earlier made history by becoming the first female combat pilots in the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).
Accordding to the statement, they were selected based on their professional excellences in line with BAF selection procedures.
They performed duties in different BAF squadron after successfully completing 65 hours of basic helicopter conversion training, said the ISPR statement.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar had earlier urged them to perform their duties with "honesty, professionalism and sincerity" and to "bring honor for the Air Force as well as for the country".
BAF started its journey to U.N. Mission by sending peacekeepers to Bosnia Herzegovina in 1993.
Some 6,430 BAF members so far reportedly completed their UN peacekeeping missions in countries including Kuwait, Timor-Leste, Cote d'Ivoire and Mali.
