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Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, who were killed while serving in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, Sudan, have been posthumously awarded the prestigious UN Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. This honor was bestowed upon them at a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Friday (June 5), local time, in observance of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres handed over the medals of the fallen peacekeepers to Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN. This honor recognizes the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of these heroes in establishing international peace and security.
The six honored peacekeepers are Corporal Md. Masud Rana, Private Md. Jahangir Alam, Private Md. Sobuj Mia, Private Md. Mominul Islam, Private Shamim Reza, and Private Santo Mondal. They were killed in a drone attack on December 13, 2025, while serving under the UN flag.
At the ceremony, the UN Secretary-General observed a minute of silence in memory of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have died in the line of duty since 1948. He also profoundly acknowledged the contributions of over 50,000 peacekeepers currently serving in various missions around the world.
This year, 68 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers from 33 member states were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. Following the ceremony, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, signed the main condolence book in tribute to the fallen peacekeepers.
It is noteworthy that the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a unique posthumous honor instituted by the UN Security Council in 1997. This medal is awarded annually as the ultimate recognition of the unique contributions and great sacrifices of military, police, and civilian personnel who lose their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping operations to maintain global peace.