Seven Bangladeshi and 204 other peacekeepers from different countries killed in the line of duty in different United Nations peacekeeping missions were remembered during the annual memorial service at the UN Secretariat 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 October 26, according to a press release forwarded by Bangladesh Permanent Mission in UN yesterday.
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 are: 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 Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly and Vitaly I. Churkin, President of the Security Council and Ambassador of Permanent Representative of Russia. The programme started with the lighting of candle by UN Secretary-General, President of General Assembly 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.