Online Desk

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who were killed while serving under the United Nations flag in Sudan have been posthumously awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal at a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres handed over the medals to Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury during a commemorative event marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Friday, according to a message received here today.

The fallen peacekeepers – Corporal Md Masud Rana, Private Md Jahangir Alam, Private Md Sobuj Mia, Private Md Mominul Islam, Private Shamim Reza and Private Santo Mondol – lost their lives in a drone strike on December 13, 2025, while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, Sudan.

The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is awarded posthumously to military, police and civilian personnel who make the ultimate sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.

During the ceremony, the UN Secretary-General paid tribute to peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty by laying a wreath in their honour and observing a minute of silence.

Guterres also highlighted the contributions of more than 50,000 UN peacekeepers currently serving in missions around the world to protect civilians and support peace and stability in conflict-affected regions.

This year, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded to 68 military, police and civilian peacekeepers from 33 UN member states who died while carrying out their peacekeeping responsibilities.

Following the ceremony, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury paid tribute to the fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers by signing the Book of Condolence at the UN Headquarters.

Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations and has earned international recognition for the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice of its peacekeepers serving in missions across the globe.