Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday paid tribute to Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving in United Nations missions across the world, praising their sacrifices, professionalism and contributions to maintaining global peace.
Speaking as the chief guest at the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers ceremony at Dhaka Cantonment, the Prime Minister said the sacrifices made by peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag would remain a shining example in the pursuit of world peace.
During the event, he presented special honours to the wives of six Bangladeshi soldiers who were martyred in Sudan in 2025 while serving in a UN peacekeeping mission. He also honoured members of the armed forces who were injured in the same attack and in other ongoing missions.
The Prime Minister paid deep tribute to the peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of world peace and virtually exchanged greetings with Bangladeshi personnel deployed in peacekeeping missions around the world.
He noted that since 1988, a total of 175 Bangladeshi peacekeepers have lost their lives and many others have been injured while serving in UN missions. He prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and expressed condolences to their families.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s contribution to peacekeeping, he said more than 200,000 members of the armed forces and police have served in 63 missions across 43 countries. At present, around 5,860 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are deployed in 10 missions worldwide, while preparations are underway for participation in a new mission in Haiti.
The Prime Minister said nearly 11 per cent of the armed forces and police personnel serving in peacekeeping operations are women, whose work in conflict-affected regions has added a new dimension to such efforts.
Addressing members of the armed forces, he stressed that professionalism, unity, discipline and adherence to the chain of command are essential for preserving the honour and dignity of the services. He also urged state institutions to become stronger by learning from past crises.
Referring to emerging challenges, including cyber warfare, the misuse of artificial intelligence, disinformation campaigns and climate change-related crises, he said the government is working to further modernise the armed forces and police with advanced technologies.
The ceremony was attended by foreign diplomats, senior government officials, military leaders, representatives of the United Nations and other distinguished guests.
