France has awarded Brigadier General Muhammad Azharul Islam of the Bangladesh Army the National Defence Medal, a French military decoration, for his outstanding contributions to UN peacekeeping missions.

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet pinned the badge on him at a ceremony at his residence in Dhaka on Tuesday.

This is the first time a member of the Bangladesh Armed Forces has received this French military award.

He received the Gold Grade, which is the highest level of this award.

“France is particularly honored to bestow this distinction upon you. It is a testament to our recognition of your commitment in UN missions and your exemplary professionalism,” the Ambassador said.

 “Awarding a national medal to a foreign personality is a meaningful gesture that clearly shows the strong and close bond between this person and our country.”

After receiving the medal, Brigadier General Azharul Islam said, “This award carries deep meaning for me, for the armed forces, and for my country.”

The National Defence Medal was created in 1982 to reward active or reserve service members who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their service and their support to France, especially the French Armed Forces.

Brigadier General Azharul Islam joined the Bangladesh Military Academy in 1995 and has taken part in several peacekeeping missions—Sudan in 2005, Ivory Coast in 2010, Somalia in 2015, and Mali in 2022.

During his tenure in Mali, he served at the MINUSMA Command Post from August 2022 to December 2023 as the Logistics Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS Support) of the Force.

He was responsible for logistical support to 17,000 civilian and military personnel in a very challenging environment, drawing the attention of Lieutenant General Jean-Michel Meunier, then Chief of Staff of MINUSMA, for his exemplary professionalism.