Six Bangladeshi Peacekeepers to Receive UN Medal Posthumously

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the United Nations flag in Abyei will be posthumously awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on June 5.

The medals will be presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, according to a UN press release.

The six Bangladeshi peacekeepers are Md Jahangir Alam, Md Sobuj Mia, Md Masud Rana, Md Mominul Islam, Shamim Reza, and Santo Mondol.

They were killed in a drone attack on December 13, 2025, while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

During the ceremony, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath in memory of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948. He will also present the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously to 68 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers from various countries who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving under the UN flag, including 59 personnel who died last year.

Bangladesh is currently the world’s fourth-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, with more than 4,000 military and police personnel, including 277 women, serving in missions in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.

According to the United Nations, more than 50,000 civilian, military, and police peacekeepers are currently deployed in some of the world’s most complex and challenging environments. A total of 118 countries contribute personnel to 11 UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

The UN General Assembly established the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers in 2002, designating May 29 to commemorate the creation of the first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), in 1948.

This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace,” underscores the importance of sustained political and financial support for peacekeeping operations at a time of increasing global conflicts and shrinking resources.

In his message marking the occasion, Secretary-General Guterres paid tribute to peacekeepers past and present and called for stronger efforts to ensure their safety and security.

“Peacekeeping is a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope, but it requires steady political backing and reliable financial support,” he said.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said peacekeepers continue to protect civilians, prevent violence, and sustain hope in some of the world’s most difficult environments.

“Investing in peacekeeping means investing in stability, conflict prevention, and the possibility of peace itself,” he said.

The ceremony will also feature the presentation of the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage, the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, and the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award to outstanding peacekeeping personnel.