Three peacekeepers of Bangladesh who lost their lives while serving in the UN peace operations last year were honored on Wednesday (May 24) by awarding “Dag Hammarskjöld Medal”, a posthumous award given by the United Nations (UN).

The UN also honored other 117 personnel of 43 peacekeeper contributing countries at UN marking International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

Md. Abul Bashar, Sainik of Bangladesh Army, serving in the UN stabilization mission in Mali sacrificed his life on 13 October 13, 2016. Constable Motaher Hosen and Constable Md. Samidul Islam of Bangladesh Police serving in the same Mission also died on May 15, in the same year.

Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Masud Bin Momen received medal for the three deceased peacekeepers of Bangladesh while Mission’s Defense Advisor Brigadier General Khan Firoz Ahmed and the official of Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air force and Police working at UN headquarters, were also present on the occasion.

At the opening ceremony of the event, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres laid floral wreath in honor of all fallen peacekeepers at Peacekeeping Memorial Site, North Lawn, UN Headquarters. 

The permanent representatives of member countries, diplomats, Military and Police Official, UN officials and representatives of Troops & Police contributing countries attended the event.

Addressing the gathering, the Secretary General said, “Those we honor today died while protecting the world’s most vulnerable people and supporting countries in making the difficult transition from conflict to peace”. 

The Secretary General lauded the supreme sacrifices made by 117 brave Civil and defense peacekeepers in 2016. 
A moment of silence was observed to pay respect to the supreme sacrifices of the peacekeepers for the cause of global peace.

Bangladesh, one of the largest contributors of military and police peacekeepers to the UN, lost a total 133 peacekeepers since 1989, the year, it had started sending peacekeepers to conflict-stricken countries to establish peace there.

However, Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award given by the United Nations (UN) to military personnel, police, or civilians who lose their lives while serving in a United Nations peacekeeping operation. The medal is named after Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died in a plane crash in what is now Zambia in September 1961.

BDST: 1023 HRS, MAY 25, 2017
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