Six Bangladeshi Peacekeepers to Receive Posthumous UN Dag Hammarskjold Medal
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Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Abyei region will be honored posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is set to present the prestigious awards during a ceremony in New York on June 5, marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
The six Bangladeshi personnel to be honored 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, 2024, while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISF).
During the commemorative event at UN headquarters, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath to honor the memory of the approximately 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948. In total, 68 military, police, and civilian personnel who perished last year—including the six Bangladeshis—will receive the medal.
Bangladesh currently stands as the fourth-largest contributor of military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping missions globally. More than 4,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, including 277 women, are currently deployed across various volatile regions, including Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Libya, South Sudan, and Western Sahara.
According to United Nations data, there are currently over 50,000 civilian, military, and police personnel serving in 11 active peacekeeping missions, with contributions from 118 nations. The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, established by the General Assembly in 2002, is observed annually to honor the legacy of the first mission launched in 1948. This year’s observance focused on the theme of “Fit for the future, building better together,” emphasizing the imperative of investing in peace.
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