Major Gen Minhazul Alam appointed UN peacekeeping force commander in Cyprus

Published : Thursday, 9 April, 2026 at 6:23 PM Count : 155

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Bangladesh Army officer Major General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Major General Minhazul Alam succeeds Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia, whose dedicated service was acknowledged with appreciation by the Secretary-General.

With over three decades of leadership and command experience in the Bangladesh Army, Major General Minhazul Alam brings extensive expertise to his new role. Most recently, he served as General Officer Commanding at the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Prior to that, he held key positions as General Officer Commanding of the 10 Infantry Division and Area Commander in Cox’s Bazar from 2024 to 2026, as well as Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College in 2024.

Throughout his career, he has undertaken a wide range of command and staff roles across infantry formations, contributing to counterterrorism operations, internal security, disaster response, and intelligence-based missions.

His international experience includes significant contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. He served as Sector Commander in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic from 2020 to 2021 and earlier as a Military Observer in the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor between 1999 and 2000.

Academically, Major General Minhazul Alam holds a PhD in International Relations from Jahangirnagar University. He also earned an MSc in National Security Strategy from National Defense University, along with a master’s degree in Defence Studies from National University of Bangladesh and an MBA from Royal University of Dhaka.

Fluent in both Bengali and English, Major General Minhazul Alam is set to lead UNFICYP with a strong blend of operational experience and academic expertise.