Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers posthumously awarded UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei in Kadugli, Sudan, have been posthumously awarded the prestigious UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.

The medal was conferred at a ceremony held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Friday (5 June), marking International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the medals on behalf of the fallen peacekeepers to Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury.

The deceased peacekeepers are Md Masud Rana, Md Jahangir Alam, Md Sabuj Mia, Md Mominul Islam, Shamim Reza and Santo Mondal.

They were killed in a drone attack on 13 December 2025, while serving under the UN flag.

The honour was awarded in recognition of their courage, sacrifice and dedication to the establishment of international peace and security.

During the ceremony, the UN Secretary-General observed a one-minute silence in memory of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948.

He also highlighted the contribution of more than 50,000 peacekeepers currently serving in various UN missions around the world.

This year, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded posthumously to 68 military, police and civilian peacekeepers from 33 member states.

Following the ceremony, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN signed the condolence book in honour of the fallen peacekeepers.