New York, 5 June 2026: Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, Sudan were posthumously honoured with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal at a ceremony marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at UN Headquarters in New York. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres handed over the medals to Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury during a commemorative ceremony marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at UN Headquarters in New York today. The fallen peacekeepers Corporal Md Masud Rana, Private Md Jahangir Alam, Private Md Sobuj Mia, Private Md Mominul Islam, Private Shamim Reza and Private Santo Mondol were killed in a drone strike on 13 December 2025 while serving under the UN flag. During the commemorative event, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in honour of nearly 4,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948 and called for a minute of silence in their memory. He also highlighted the contributions of more than 50,000 UN peacekeepers currently serving in missions worldwide to protect civilians and support peace in conflict-affected regions. This year, the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal was awarded to 68 military, police and civilian peacekeepers from 33 Member States who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Following the ceremony, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury paid tribute to the fallen peacekeepers by signing the Book of Condolence in their memory.