Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima has received the ‘Dag Hammarskjold Medal’ awarded posthumously to two Bangladeshi fallen peacekeepers.
Fallen peacekeepers Major A K M Mahmudul Hasan was serving in MINUSCA and Lance Corporal Md. Rabiul Mollah was serving in UNMISS.
Ambassador Fatima re also signed the condolence book kept in the UNHQs.
Bangladesh is currently the top contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations and around 6802 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are deployed in 9 peacekeeping missions at present.
So far, 161 peacekeepers from Bangladesh have lost their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping operations.
The award was handed over by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a ceremony to honour 117 peacekeepers of 42 countries who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for world peace in 2021.
The respective Permanent Representatives of 42 countries were present in the ceremony and received the awards on behalf of their countries.
“The sacrifice of the peacekeepers only strengthens our resolve to continue serving the cause of peace,” said Ambassador Fatima.
After the ceremony, she laid floral wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site in the North Lawn of the UNHQs in honour of all peacekeepers who have lost their lives during noble service with a peacekeeping operation.
She also mentioned that Bangladesh has lost many of its brave souls in the line of their sacred duty for world peace in a condolence message given on the occasion of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
The observance of the day started with laying floral wreath by the UN Secretary-General at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site in the North Lawn of the UNHQs.
The theme for this year’s Day is “People Peace Progress: The Power of Partnerships.”
The United Nations recognizes the professionalism, dedication and courage of the peacekeepers and honours the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace by commemorating the day and awarding the medal.
After a two-year break, this year, the United Nations has observed the ‘International Day of the UN Peacekeepers’ at the UN headquarters premises in person.
Source: United News of Bangladesh