Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in a United Nations mission in Sudan have been honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal at a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The medals were presented during a commemorative event 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.
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 attack on December 13, 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 die while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
During the ceremony, the UN chief paid tribute to fallen peacekeepers by laying a wreath and observing a moment of silence.
He also acknowledged the dedication of more than 50,000 peacekeepers currently deployed worldwide in missions focused on protecting civilians and supporting stability in conflict-affected regions.
This year, a total of 68 peacekeepers from 33 countries were honoured with the medal for their sacrifice while serving under the UN flag.
After the ceremony, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury signed the Book of Condolence at the UN Headquarters in memory of the fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers.
Bangladesh remains one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, with its personnel widely recognised for their professionalism, commitment and service in conflict zones around the world.
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