Published: 07:53 PM, 11 June 2026
Martyred UN peacekeepers honoured
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over honorific mementos to the families of martyred UN peacekeepers and injured personnel belonging to Bangladesh at a program in the capital on Wednesday. -AA
Bangladesh yesterday celebrated the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers with due dignity, joining the rest of the world in paying tribute to the invaluable contributions of peacekeepers serving under the UN flag across the globe.
As the public holiday for Eid-Ul-Azha coincided with the official observance date of May 29, all programs marking the day were held today, according to a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate on Wednesday evening.
The theme of this year's observance was "Invest in Peace".
Messages marking the day were issued by the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the chiefs of the three services, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, the Inspector General of Police, the UN Secretary-General and the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh.
As part of the day's programs, a reception was held at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment this morning in honour of the family members of fallen peacekeepers and those injured while serving in UN peacekeeping missions.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the event as the chief guest.
The program began with a one-minute silence in memory of peacekeepers who made the supreme sacrifice while serving in missions abroad.
A special presentation on UN peacekeeping operations was also arranged on the occasion.
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Carol Flore-Smereczniak delivered the welcome address, while Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman spoke as the senior-most peacekeeper. Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also spoke at the program.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over special commemorative honours to the families of fallen peacekeepers and injured personnel.
In recognition of their supreme sacrifice, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were posthumously awarded the prestigious "Dag Hammarskjöld Medal" this year.
Later, through video teleconferencing, the Prime Minister exchanged greetings with Bangladeshi peacekeepers deployed in different UN missions across the world.
To mark the day, special talk-shows were aired on various television channels, while the 12th edition of the "International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers Journal" was also published.
>>P R Biswas, AA
