Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)
Chief of Army Staff (CAS) (Bengali: সেনাবাহিনী প্রধান, romanized: Senabahini Prodhan) of Bangladesh Army, also known as Army Chief, is the highest-ranking officer of the Bangladesh Army.[1][2] The Chief of Army staff has been a four-star rank since 2007. Maj. Gen. M. A. Rab (the then Lt Col) was the Chief of Staff Army under the combined command of Bangladesh Forces which served as the origins of Bangladesh Armed Forces.[3] After the War of Independence Bangladesh Army was officially reverted to the Ministry of Defense in 1972 and Maj. Gen. K. M. Shafiullah was appointed the Chief of Army Staff. The current Chief of Army Staff is Gen SM Shafiuddin Ahmed
| Chief of Army Staff | |
|---|---|
| সেনাবাহিনী প্রধান (Bengali) | |
_Emblem.svg) Crest of the Chief of Army Staff | |
_Flag.svg) Flag of the Chief of Army Staff | |
 Bangladesh Army | |
| Type | Bangladesh Army service chief |
| Abbreviation | CAS |
| Member of | |
| Reports to |  Prime Minister  Minister of Defence |
| Residence | Sena Bhaban, Dhaka Cantonment |
| Seat | Army Headquarter, Dhaka Cantonment |
| Appointer | Prime Minister with President advice and consent |
| Term length | 3 years, or at the age of 60, whichever is earlier. |
| Constituting instrument | The Army Act, 1952 of (Act No. XXXIX OF 1952) |
| Formation | 12 April 1971 |
| First holder | General M. A. G. Osmani (Commander-in-chief) Major General Mohammad Abdur Rab (Chief of staff) |
| Unofficial names | Army Chief |
| Deputy | Chief of the General Staff |
| Salary | ৳ 100,000 Monthly (US$ 1,175) ৳ 12,00,000 annually (US$ 14,104) |
| Website | army.mil.bd |
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The office of the Chief of Army Staff functions from the Army Headquarters, which is located in the Dhaka Cantonment.[4]
History edit
The Bangladesh Army traced its roots back to the East Bengal Regiment composed solely of youths of East Bengal, then East Pakistan. However, on 25 March 1971, after long negotiations and actions failed to bring desired results mistrust toky precedence.[clarify] Pakistan Armed Forces led a military crackdown on its own citizens, certain sections of people in East Pakistan (E. Bengal). There were civilian deaths and casualties also. Pakistan military planners conducted this through Operation Searchlight, which spread across the country in main centers. During the first watch of 26 March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the Independence of Bangladesh.[5][6][7] Another declaration was read out on 27 March 1971, by Major Ziaur Rahman, on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman over radio at Kalurghat Radio Stn., Chittagong city.[8] As a result, in March 1971, many Bengali soldiers in the Pakistan Army revolted and joined the guerilla movement, Bangladesh Forces. Colonel Mohd. Ataul Goni Osmani served as the Commander-in-Chief and Lieutenant colonel Mohd. Abdur Rab as the Chief of Staff.[3]
Bangladesh Army came into being officially in January, 1972. In April, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman then decided to change the commanding posts of the three services which was combined and commanded by General M. A. G. Osmani. On 7 April, Maj. Gen. K M Shafiullah, was made the chief of army staff.[9][10]
Chief of Army Staff's rank was upgraded to lieutenant-general in 1978 and then to four star general in 2007.[11][12]
Appointees edit
The following table chronicles the appointees to the office of the Chief of Army Staff or its preceding positions since the Bangladesh Liberation War. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:
Commander-in-Chief, Mukti Bahini (1971–1972) edit
| No. | Picture | Commander-in-Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General M. A. G. Osmani psc (1918–1984) | 12 April 1971 | 6 April 1972 | 360 days | Royal Indian Army Service Corps[13] |
Chief of staff, Mukti Bahini (1971–1972) edit
| No. | Picture | Chief of staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major General Mohammad Abdur Rab Bir Uttom (1919–1975) | 12 April 1971 | 6 April 1972 | 360 days |
Chiefs of Army staff (1972–present) edit
| No. | Picture | Chief of Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Major general Kazi Muhammad Shafiullah Bir Uttom, psc (born 1934) | 7 April 1972 | 25 August 1975 | 3 years, 140 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 2 | Major general Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttom, psc (1936–1981) | 25 August 1975 | 3 November 1975 | 70 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 3 | Major general Khaled Mosharraf Bir Uttom, psc (1937–1975) | 3 November 1975 | 7 November 1975 † | 4 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 4 | Lieutenant general Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttom, psc (1936–1981) | 7 November 1975 | 28 April 1978 | 2 years, 172 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 5 | Lieutenant general Hussain Muhammad Ershad ndc, psc (1930–2019) | 29 April 1978 | 30 August 1986 | 8 years, 123 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 6 | Lieutenant general Atiqur Rahman G+ (1931–2023) | 31 August 1986 | 30 August 1990 | 3 years, 364 days | Regiment of Artillery | |
| 7 | Lieutenant general Nuruddin Khan psc (born 1940) | 31 August 1990 | 30 August 1994 | 3 years, 364 days | Corps of Engineers | |
| 8 | Lieutenant general Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim Bir Bikrom, psc (born 1943) | 31 August 1994 | 19 May 1996 | 1 year, 262 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 9 | Lieutenant general Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman psc | 27 May 1996 | 23 December 1997 | 1 year, 210 days | Corps of Engineers | |
| 10 | Lieutenant general Mustafizur Rahman Bir Bikrom, ndc, psc, C (1941–2008) | 24 December 1997 | 23 December 2000 | 2 years, 365 days | Corps of Engineers | |
| 11 | Lieutenant general Mohammed Harun-Ar-Rashid Bir Protik, rcds, psc (born 1948) | 24 December 2000 | 15 June 2002 | 1 year, 173 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 12 | Lieutenant general Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury awc, psc (born 1948) | 16 June 2002 | 15 June 2005 | 2 years, 364 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 13 | General Moeen Uddin Ahmed ndc, psc (born 1953) | 16 June 2005 | 15 June 2009 | 3 years, 364 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 14 | General Mohammed Abdul Mubeen ndc, psc (born 1955) | 16 June 2009 | 25 June 2012 | 3 years, 9 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 15 | General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan psc (born 1955) | 26 June 2012 | 25 June 2015 | 2 years, 364 days | East Bengal Regiment | |
| 16 | General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Haq ndc, psc (born 1958) | 26 June 2015 | 25 June 2018 | 2 years, 364 days | Armoured Corps | |
| 17 | General Aziz Ahmed SBP, BSP, BGBM, PBGM, BGBMS, psc, G (born 1961) | 25 June 2018 | 24 June 2021 | 2 years, 364 days | Regiment of Artillery | |
| 18 | General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed SBP, OSP, ndu, psc, PhD (born 1963) | 24 June 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 296 days | East Bengal Regiment |
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Major General Moeen U Ahmed new Army Chief". bdnews24.com. 5 June 2005. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Bangladesh appoints Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan as new Army Chief". First Post. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Stripping ex-army chief Mustafizur Rahman of rank illegal: HC". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ "Gen Mubeen takes over army". The Daily Star. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- ^ "Bangabandhu Shadhinota Ghoshonar Telegraphic Barta". BDNews24. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ সংযোজনস্বাধীনতার ঘোষণা: বেলাল মোহাম্মদের সাক্ষাৎকার. bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "March 27, 1971: Zia makes radio announcement on independence". The Daily Star. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "TIMELINE". The Daily Star (newspaper). 15 August 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Shafiullah new chairman of sector commanders forum". 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ Mascarenhas, Anthony. Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood. Hodder and Stoughton.
- ^ "Bangladesh Armed Forces elite promoted". Dawn. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ Indian Army List for July 1941. Government of India Press. 1941. p. 1000.