Bodies of six fallen Bangladeshi peacekeepers return home

The bodies of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in an armed attack in Sudan arrived in Dhaka on Saturday morning (December 20), reaching Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:00am.

The Chief of General Staff (CGS) of Bangladesh Army Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shameem received the bodies at the airport.

The fallen peacekeepers will be honoured with state funeral prayers on Sunday, after which their bodies will be flown by helicopter to their respective hometowns for burial with full military honours.

The soldiers were killed on December 13 when separatist armed groups launched a sudden drone attack on the Kadugli Logistics Base under the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) mission. The attack took place between 3:40pm and 3:50pm (local time), killing all six peacekeepers on the spot.

The fallen peacekeepers are Corporal Md Masud Rana, ASC (Natore) Sainik Md Mominul Islam, Bir (Kurigram) Sainik Shamim Reza, Bir (Rajbari) Sainik Shanta Mondal, Bir (Kurigram) Mess Waiter Mohammad Jahangir Alam (Kishoreganj) Laundry employee Md Sabuj Mia (Gaibandha).

Eight other Bangladeshi peacekeepers were injured in the attack, including Lieutenant Colonel Khondaker Khalekuzzaman, PSC, Ordnance (Kushtia); Sergeant MdMostakim Hossain; Bir (Dinajpur) Corporal Afroza Parvin Eti; Signals (Dhaka) Lance Corporal Mohibul Islam; EME (Barguna) Sainik MdMezbaul Kabir; Bir (Kurigram) Sainik Umme Hani Akter; Engineers (Rangpur) Sainik Chumki Akter, Ordnance (Manikganj); and Sainik Md Manazir Ahsan, Bir (Noakhali).

Condemning the attack as “brutal and cowardly,” the Bangladesh Army said in a statement that the sacrifice of the fallen peacekeepers would remain a proud symbol of the country’s commitment to global peace. Deep condolences were also expressed to the bereaved families.