Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will receive the bodies at the Zia International Airport.

The namaj-e-janaza of the deceased will be held at the Army Stadium at 8:30am tomorrow.

President Iajuddin Ahmed and chiefs of three services will attend the namaj-e-janaza, a press release of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said yesterday.

The bodies will be first kept at the military mortuary. Eight helicopters will carry them to their village homes after the rites.

A special flight chartered by the United Nations is scheduled to fly the bodies from Ugandan capital Kampala to Bangladesh, a well-placed source in the armed forces said.

The members of armed forces yesterday rehearsed with nine dummy coffins at the VVIP Tarmac of Zia International Airport to receive their colleagues' bodies in due military discipline.

The bodies of the killed Bangladeshi armed forces personnel were taken to Kampala from Ituri's capital Bunia after UN peacekeepers from various countries gave last salute to the bodies of their fellowmen from Bangladesh.

The nine soldiers serving as UN peacekeepers in northeastern Ituri region of Congo, a stronghold of several ethnic and political armed militias, were killed at Bangladesh time 2:15pm Friday in one of the bloodiest attacks on a UN peacekeeping mission in recent years.

Of the nine killed in peacekeeping mission, Captain Shahid Ashraf Khan hailed from Kahalu upazila of Bogra district, warrant officer Sohrab Hossain Talukdar from Dhuly Gathy of Netrokona, sergeant Sirajul Haque from Mehendiganj of Barisal and corporal Ataur Rahman Sarker from Palashbari of Gaibandha.

Leading seaman Nurul Islam hailed from Monglaport of Bagerhat district, and privates Abdus Salam (1) from Arajee Choraikhola of Nilphamari, Abdus Salam (2) from Charbongkhari of Manikganj, Zahirul Islam from Shibganj of Bogra and Belal Hossain from Astodrone of Noakhali.

Condolences

The United States and Russian governments expressed their deep shock at the killing of nine Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers by rebels in Congo.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca telephoned to Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan Saturday night and expressed US government's and her personal sympathies and condolences to the government of Bangladesh and to the family and friends of the slain UN peacekeepers.

Rocca praised the role Bangladesh has been playing in UN peacekeeping missions and also offered possible assistance to Bangladesh, if required, to bring "the remains of martyred soldiers back home".

US Ambassador Harry K Thomas telephoned the Director General of Forces Intelligence to express his shock at the killing of the peacekeepers. Deputy Chief of Mission Judith Chammas also expressed condolences to Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, a press release of the US Embassy in Bangladesh said yesterday.

UNB reports: In a message to Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan, Oleg S Malginov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Dhaka, expressed his condolences at the death of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

"Please accept our heartfelt condolences and convey deepest sympathies to the relatives of the victims. We wish them courage and strength to stand the pain of this irretrievable loss," said the envoy.

The Russian Federation very highly appreciates the contribution of Bangladesh to the peacekeeping missions all over the world, which serves to the strengthening of global stability and security, he added.

United Nations officials in Congo have paid rich tributes to Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in an ambush on Friday, reports UNB.

Dominique McAdams, head of the UN bureau in Congo's eastern Ituri province, spoke to international soldiers Saturday at Bunia airport where the bodies of the nine Bangladeshi peacekeepers were to be loaded on a plane to Dhaka.

She said the Bangladeshi peacekeepers wanted to improve the lives of ordinary Congolese and help free them from the grip of "demented" armed elements.

McAdams also said the UN mission must do its utmost to ensure that the Bangladeshis' sacrifice does not go in vain, VOA news added.