Lt Gen Minhazul calls on PM before joining UN peacekeeping

Lieutenant General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam today (3 June) paid a call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman before departing for Cyprus to take up his appointment as Force Commander of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission there.

He met the premier at his Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam was present at the meeting.

Minhazul Alam is scheduled to leave Dhaka on 5 June for the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

After completing official formalities there, he will assume charge as the 23rd Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

During the meeting with the Prime Minister, discussions focused on Bangladesh's contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, the professionalism of its armed forces, and the reputation and prestige they have earned internationally.

Minhazul Alam will become the eighth Bangladeshi Army officer in history to serve as a UN Force Commander. 

Before him, seven Bangladeshi officers successfully served in this role across eight different countries.

The first Bangladeshi Force Commander was Brigadier General late Anisur Rahman, who served in Mozambique in 1993. 

He was followed in the same mission by Major General (Retd) Mohammad Abdus Salam in 1994. 

Other Bangladeshi officers who have served as Force Commanders include Major General (Retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar in Sudan, Lieutenant General (Retd) Abu Tayeb Mohammad Zahirul Alam in Liberia, Major General Abdul Hafiz in Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) and Western Sahara, and Major General (Retd) Mohammad Humayun Kabir in Cyprus. 

Currently, Major General Md Fakhrul Ahsan is serving as Force Commander in Western Sahara.

At present, 10 military officers from various countries, including one Bangladeshi, serve as Force Commanders in ten UN peacekeeping missions worldwide. 

With Lt. Gen. Minhazul Alam joining the mission in Cyprus alongside Major General Fakhrul Ahsan in Western Sahara, Bangladesh will have two serving Force Commanders simultaneously. 

This is considered a significant honor that will further enhance Bangladesh's image abroad.

Bangladesh has earned special international recognition as one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations for many years. Lt. Gen. Minhazul Alam's appointment is another important addition to this proud tradition.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is one of the UN's longest-running peacekeeping missions. It was established in 1964 to prevent conflict between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Its primary responsibilities include maintaining the UN Buffer Zone, commonly known as the "Green Line," and monitoring the ceasefire lines that separate the two sides.

The mission has an authorized strength of 1,090 personnel. As of October 31, 2025, it consisted of 727 military personnel, 60 police officers, and 148 civilian staff members.

Military personnel participating in the mission come from 18 countries: Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Ghana, Hungary, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

Minhazul Alam was born in Chattogram (Chittagong) in 1971. He was commissioned into the Infantry Corps from the Bangladesh Military Academy in December 1991 and received the prestigious Sword of Honour for outstanding all-rounder performance.

He led Operation Kuwait Reconstruction and played an important role in commanding a brigade responsible for security in the Rohingya camps. During his military career, he also served as a Sector Commander in a UN mission in the Central African Republic.

Lt. Gen. Minhazul Alam has held several distinguished appointments, including Chief Instructor and Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College. He also served as Managing Director of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited.

He earned a PhD in International Relations from Jahangirnagar University.

Before being appointed as a UN Force Commander, he served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Bangladesh Army's Training and Doctrine Command. He also previously served as GOC of the 10th Infantry Division in the Cox's Bazar area.