Photo: ISPR

DHAKA, Nov 26, 2025 (BSS) - An 85-member contingent of the Bangladesh Navy left Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram today to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on a special flight.

The naval personnel will join the Bangladesh Navy ship 'Sangram', deployed in Lebanon as part of BANCON-16, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.

On the eve of their departure, Chief Staff Officer Captain M Ashraful Alam, representing the Commander of the Chattogram Naval Region, formally bid farewell to the Lebanon-bound personnel at the airport. Senior Navy officers were present on the occasion.

Earlier, on November 19, a group of 25 Navy personnel, led by Captain Fahid Abdullah, departed for Lebanon from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a commercial flight. 

Meanwhile, 110 sailors of BANCON-15 (UNIFIL) are scheduled to return to Bangladesh on November 27.

Prior to departure, Assistant Chief of the Navy (Operations) Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa briefed the sailors, urging them to uphold the image of the Bangladesh Navy and the country through honesty, dedication and professional skills while contributing to global peace.

Bangladesh Navy ships have been participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon since 2010. 

As a member of the Multinational Maritime Task Force in the Mediterranean, the 'Sangram' plays a key role in preventing the infiltration of illegal weapons, monitoring suspicious ships and aircraft, conducting rescue operations, providing training to Lebanese military personnel, and delivering medical services to Bangladeshis in Lebanon.

The ISPR release noted that Bangladesh Navy personnel have performed their duties in Lebanon with dedication and efficiency over the past 15 years, contributing significantly to global peace.