Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in a United Nations mission in Sudan have been posthumously awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal, the UN’s highest honour for personnel killed in the line of duty.
The medals were presented during a ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. Un Secretary General António Guterres handed over the awards to Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury on Friday, according to a message received in Dhaka on Saturday.
The honoured peacekeepers were Corporal Md Masud Rana, Private Md Jahangir Alam, Private Md Sobuj Mia, Private Md Mominul Islam, Private Shamim Reza and Private Santo Mondol. They were killed in a drone strike on 13 December 2025, while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei 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 operations around the world.
During the commemorative event, the UN Secretary General paid tribute to fallen peacekeepers by laying a wreath and observing a minute of silence. He also highlighted the contributions of more than 50,000 peacekeepers currently serving in conflict-affected regions worldwide to protect civilians and support peace and stability.
This year, a total of 68 military, police and civilian personnel from 33 member states received the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal in recognition of their sacrifice while serving under the UN flag.
Following the ceremony, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury signed the Book of Condolence at the UN Headquarters in memory of the six Bangladeshi peacekeepers.
Bangladesh remains one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions and has earned global recognition for the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice of its peacekeepers serving across various conflict zones.
