Seven Bangladeshi and 204 peacekeepers from different countries killed in line of duty in different United Nations peacekeeping missions were remembered during annual memorial service at the UN Secretariat in New York on Wednesday.
The annual ceremony to mark the ‘Memorial Service’ to honour United Nations Personnel who lost their lives in service of peace was held at the Trusteeship Council of United Nations Secretariat on Thursday, according to a press release forwarded by the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in the UN.
During the period between January 2015 and June 2016, a total of 211 peacekeepers, both military and civilians, who lost their lives in the line of duty, were remembered and each name was pronounced in the Trusteeship Council in presence of the full house including the names of seven Bangladeshi fallen peacekeepers.
The fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers were: Sergeant Md Shahidul Islam (UNOCI, Ivory Coast, 2015), Sainik Sree Nilkanth Hajong (MINUSMA, Mali, 2015), Constable Motahar Hosen (MINUSMA, Mali, 2016), Constable Mohammad Samidul Islam (MINUSMA, Mali, 2016), Sub-Inspector Moinul A. Khan (UNAMID, Sudan 2015), Lance Corporal Md Mozibor Rahman (UNMIL, Liberia, 2015) and Sergeant Md Shahidul Islam (UNOCI, Ivory Coast, 2015).
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon was present at the programme as chief guest. The event was attended, among others, by UN General Assembly president Peter Thomson, and UN Security Council president Vitaly I. Churkin.
The programme started with the lighting of candles by UN secretary general, General Assembly president and president of the Security Council.
In his remarks, the secretary general paid his deepest tribute to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and recognised their selfless sacrifice for the cause of global peace.
A few families of the fallen peacekeepers also graced the occasion.
Bangladesh permanent representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen and the defence adviser Brigadier General AKM Akhtaruzzaman attended the ceremony.
Source: New Age
