The United Nations has awarded the Dag Hammarskjold Medal to eight Bangladeshi soldiers killed in peacekeeping for the highest sacrifices. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters last Thursday (May 27) on the occasion of International Peacekeeping Day. The award was given to 129 peacekeepers from 44 countries for the same contribution. However, the self-sacrifice of Bangladeshi soldiers is the highest among those killed in peacekeeping.
Through the virtual ceremony, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres handed over the medals of their respective countries to the Permanent Representatives of 44 countries including Bangladesh. At the same time, it is said that this medal is repeatedly commemorating the power, purity and immortality of life dedicated to the great cause of establishing world peace.
Eight peacekeepers of Bangladesh who sacrificed their lives while on duty are- Abdul Mohammad, the warrant officer of Minusma Mission in Mali. Halim, Manusco mission warrant officer in the Congo Saiful Imam Bhuiyan, Sergeant Ziaur Rahman, Sergeant MD Mubarak Hossain and Lance Corporal Saiful Islam, Lance Corporal of the Minuska Mission in the Central African Republic, Abdullah Al Mamun and Sergeant Ibrahim and Nurul Amin, Washerman of the UNMIS Mission in South Sudan.
The medal was received on behalf of Bangladesh by Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United Nations. The mission's defense adviser Brigadier General Mohammad Sadequzzaman also participated in the virtual event. The Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations will take steps to deliver these medals to the families of Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed while on duty.
In a condolence message on the occasion of the award ceremony, Ambassador Fatima said, "I pay my deepest respects to all the brave men and women in blue helmets who gave their lives under the banner of the United Nations and extend their deepest condolences to their families and relatives."
She further said, "Bangladesh has lost many of its heroic fighters while fulfilling its sacred duty of establishing world peace. But this sacrifice has never been an obstacle for us to respond to any call to the United Nations. Rather, it has strengthened our resolve to dedicate ourselves to the cause of peace. Addressing the international community, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh said, "Only by establishing a world free from hunger and misery will we show true respect to these peacekeepers who have given their lives in the line of duty."
The theme of this year's International Peacekeeping Day is 'On the Path to Sustainable Peace: Enhancing Youth for Peace and Security'. At the beginning of the day, Secretary-General Guterres laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the North Lawn of the United Nations Headquarters in memory of the departed souls of military and civilian peacekeepers who have served under the UN flag for the past seven decades.
It is to be noted that Bangladesh is currently the highest sending peacekeeper in UN peacekeeping operations. About 7,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are working in 9 UN peacekeeping missions. So far, 159 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have died in the line of duty.