Six BD peacekeepers to get award
Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Abyei, Sudan, will be awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously.
The medals will be presented on June 5 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, according to a UN press release.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres will present the medals at the ceremony. The six Bangladeshi peacekeepers are Md Jahangir Alam, Md Sabuj Mia, Md Masud Rana, Md Mominul Islam, Shamim Reza and Shanto Mondol.
They were killed in a drone attack on December 13, 2025, while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
At the ceremony, the UN secretary-general will lay a wreath in memory of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have died in the line of duty since 1948.
A total of 68 military, police and civilian peacekeepers, including 59 who died last year, will receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal posthumously.
Bangladesh is currently the fourth-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. More than 4,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers, including 277 women, are 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 working in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous environments.
A total of 118 countries are contributing personnel to 11 UN peacekeeping missions.
The UN General Assembly declared the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in 2002. The day is observed on May 29 each year to mark the establishment of the first UN peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, in 1948.
This year’s theme was “Investing in Peace”, highlighting the need for sustained political and financial support for peacekeeping operations at a time of rising global conflicts and shrinking resources.
In his message marking the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute to all past and present peacekeepers and called for stronger action to ensure their safety and security.
Guterres said peacekeeping remains a proven and cost-effective way to restore stability and hope, but it requires continued political support and reliable funding.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said peacekeepers continue to protect civilians, prevent violence and keep hope alive even in the world’s most difficult environments.
He said investing in peacekeeping means investing in stability, conflict prevention and the possibility of peace.
The ceremony will also include 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 peacekeeping personnel for their outstanding contributions.
