UN honours five fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers

Bangladesh currently sends the highest number of soldiers to UN peacekeeping operations

The United Nations awarded ‘Dag Hammarskjöld Medal’ to five Bangladeshis who died during peacekeeping operations, the Bangladesh mission at the UN has said.

Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN in New York, received the medals on behalf of the fallen peacekeepers.

The award, named after the second secretary-general of the United Nations, was handed at the General Assembly Hall by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday.

The award-presenting ceremony awarded a total of 103 peacekeepers from 39 countries who gave their lives on duty in 2022.

The five Bangladeshi fallen peacekeepers are: Sergeant Md Manjur Rahman, who was serving in UNISFA, Abyei, Lance Corporal Kafil Majumder, who was on duty in UNMISS, South Sudan, Sainik Md Sharif Hossain, who was posted in MUNISCA, Central African Republic, Sainik Md Jahangir Alam, who was serving in MINUSCA, Central African Republic and Sainik Md Jasim Uddin during his duties for MINUSCA, Central African Republic.

After receiving the medal, Ambassador Muhith signed the condolence book kept at the General Assembly Hall and expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the fallen peacekeepers.

Bangladesh is currently the top contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. At present around 7,500 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are deployed in nine peacekeeping missions. As many as 166 peacekeepers from Bangladesh have lost their lives in total while serving in the UN peacekeeping operations.