Dhaka, April 9, 2026 — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Lieutenant General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam of Bangladesh as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
He succeeds Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia. The Secretary-General expressed deep appreciation for Batsuuri’s dedication and service during his tenure.
Lieutenant General Minhazul Alam brings over three decades of leadership and command experience in the Bangladesh Army. He most recently served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) at the Army Training and Doctrine Command. Prior to that, he held the position of GOC of the 10 Infantry Division and Area Commander of Cox’s Bazar from 2024 to 2026. He also served as Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College in 2024.
Throughout his career, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments across infantry formations. His experience includes leadership roles in counterterrorism operations, internal security, disaster response, and intelligence-based operations.
Lieutenant General Minhazul Alam has also served in United Nations peacekeeping missions. He was Sector Commander in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) from 2020 to 2021. Earlier, he served as a Military Observer in the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) between 1999 and 2000.
Academically, he holds a PhD in International Relations from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. He also earned a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., a master’s degree in Defense Studies from the National University of Bangladesh, and an MBA from the Royal University of Dhaka.
In addition to his native Bengali, Lieutenant General Minhazul Alam is fluent in English.
UNFICYP, established in 1964, is one of the United Nations’ longest-running peacekeeping missions, tasked with maintaining stability and preventing a recurrence of fighting between communities in Cyprus.
