Brigadier General Mohammad Azharul Islam of the Bangladesh Army has become the first Bangladeshi to receive France’s prestigious National Defence Medal (Gold Level), awarded for his outstanding service in UN peacekeeping operations.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the development in a statement.
The medal was handed over by French Ambassador Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet at a ceremony held at his residence in Dhaka on Tuesday.
France honoured Brig Gen Azhar for what it described as his exceptional professionalism and dedication during some of the UN mission’s most complex operations in Mali.
According to ISPR, Azhar served as deputy chief of staff (support) at the MINUSMA force headquarters in Mali between 2022 and 2023, when he was a colonel. He supervised logistics and support operations for more than 13,000 peacekeepers from various countries.
His key responsibilities included managing operations during the French Barkhane force’s relocation from Mali to Niger and Chad in 2022. As France handed over several northern Mali camps to the UN mission, Azhar’s team worked to ensure the safe withdrawal of French troops and the proper deployment of UN peacekeepers.
In 2023, after the UN decided to fully withdraw from Mali, he was given the difficult task of coordinating the mission’s complete logistical pullout. Despite a strict six-month deadline, his team successfully evacuated all UN personnel, weapons and equipment.
France said the award recognises his precision, leadership and commitment in handling these sensitive and challenging operations.
Brigadier General Azhar is an experienced peacekeeper, having served previously in Sudan, Côte d`Ivoire, Somalia and Mali.
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