UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Major General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam of Bangladesh as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Minhazul Alam succeeds Major General Hernebat Batsuren of Mongolia, whom Guterres thanked for his dedication and service to the mission.
The incoming commander brings more than 30 years of leadership and command experience in the Bangladesh Army. Most recently, he served as General Officer Commanding at the Army Training and Doctrine Command, and previously held the post of General Officer Commanding of the 10th Infantry Division and Area Comma4nder in Cox's Bazar between 2024 and 2026, as well as Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 2024.
Earlier in his career, Minhazul Alam held multiple command and staff positions across infantry formations, including assignments in counter-terrorism, internal security, disaster response and intelligence-based operations.
He also has direct UN peacekeeping experience, having served as Sector Commander with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic from 2020 to 2021, and as a military observer with the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor from 1999 to 2000.
Minhazul Alam holds a doctorate in international relations from Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, a master's degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, a postgraduate degree in defence studies from the National University of Bangladesh, and an MBA from the University of Dhaka. He is fluent in English in addition to his native language.
Source: AMNA