Military of Bangladesh

Infobox National Military
name = Bangladesh Military Force
native_name =


caption = Coat of arms of Bangladesh
headquarters =
commander-in-chief =
minister = Fakhruddin Ahmed
commander = Moeen U Ahmed
active = 192,000 (2007)
reserve =
deployed =
budget = $1.011 billion (2005)
percent_GDP = 1.8% (2005)
founded =
current_form =
disbanded =
branches = Sena Bahini (Army)
Nou Bahini (Navy)
Biman Bahini (Air Force)
Rapid Action Battalion
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)
Bangladesh National Cadet Corps
age = 18
manpower_age = 15–49
available = 35,170,019 (2005 est.)
fit = 26,841,255 (2005 est.)
reaching = unknown
domestic_suppliers =
foreign_suppliers =
exports =
imports =
history = Bangladesh Liberation War

The military of Bangladesh constitutes of the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and the Bangladesh Air Force and are composed of regular military personnel. Some of the senior officers and noncommissioned officers served in the Military of Pakistan before the 1971 independence war. Senior officers include "repatriates" who were interned in Pakistan during the war and freedom fighters who fought against Pakistan.

In addition to traditional defense roles, the military has been called on to provide support to civil authorities for disaster relief and internal security.

Bangladesh armies current strength is estimated to be more than 150,000 personnel, Bangladesh Air Force consists of more than 18,000 personnel And Bangladesh Navy with 24,000 personnel [http://www.bdmilitary.com/main/military/militaryforces.htm] , perform traditional military missions. A Coast Guard also operates under the Home Ministry, to play a stronger role in the area of anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and protection of offshore resources. Recognition of economic and fiscal constraints has led to the establishment of several paramilitary and auxiliary forces, including the 67,000-member Bangladesh Rifles; the Ansars and Village Defense Parties Organization, and a 5,000-member specialized police unit known as the Armed Police. The Bangladesh Rifles, under the authority of the Home Ministry, are commanded by army officers who are seconded to the organization.

A 2,300-member Bangladesh Army contingent served with coalition forces during the 1991 Gulf war. Bangladesh is currently the highest contributor (with 9,600 troops) to United Nations peacekeeping operations, with an infantry battalion in UNIKOM (Kuwait), an engineer battalion in UNTAET, (East Timor) and another infantry battalion service in Sierra Leone in May 2000.

Military history

Data

*The highest award given by the Bangladesh Armed Forces is the Bir Sreshtho, given to the bravest of Martyrs.
*Other awards include Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram and Bir Pratik.

Neutral stance

Recent political decisions have strongly emphasized the will to participate in international operations, to the point where this has become the main short-term goal of training and equipment acquisition.

Bangladesh aims to have the option of remaining neutral in case of proximate war, and therefore not a formal member of any military alliance.

Current deployments

Bangladesh has consistently made large contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations. As of May 2007, Bangladesh had major deployments in Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Timor-Leste and Cote d'Ivoire. [ [http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/contributors/2007/may07_3.pdf UN Mission's Summary detailed by Country] , Monthly Summary of Contributors of Military and Civilian Police Personnel, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations, 2007-5-31] With 9677 troops deployed, it ranks second in personnel contributions to UN peacekeeping. [ [http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/contributors/2007/may07_2.pdf Ranking of Military and Police Contributions to UN Operations] , Monthly Summary of Contributors of Military and Civilian Police Personnel, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations, 2007-5-31] The government declined to participate in Iraq on a request from USA. The deployment to Liberia began in October 2003 and has remained at a level of about 3200 who are participating in peacekeeping, charitable activities and infrastructure development.

Training

Officers are trained at the Bangladesh Military Academy, Bangladesh Naval Academy located in Chittagong and Bangladesh Air Force Academy in Jessore respestively. In further parts of their careers, officers are often sent to Staff College within or outside Bangladesh, National Defence Collegeand Armed Forces War Course within or outside Bangladesh .Officers of medical corps are recruited after graduation from civil medical colleges. They undergo basic military training at Military Academy followed by professional training in medical corps centre and Armed forces medical institute. Recently cadets of Armed Forces Medical college also started joining directly. [http://www.bangladesharmy.org/newahq/index5.php?category=49] .

Military ranks

Bangladesh military ranks, essentially corresponds to those used by the armed forces of the English speaking world.

There are three different systems of rank for commissioned officers, depending on whether one is commissioned in the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy or Bangladesh Air Force. The Para-military force Bangladesh Rifles whose primary duty is to guard the border does not have any officer of their own. Commissioned officers from Bangladesh Army are posted there for a certain period of time to do that job. There are plans to build a national defence university in Bangladesh, which will succeed the National Defence College.

The Bangladesh Army introduced the rank of Brigadier General in 2001. All officers are commissioned as "Second Lieutenant. No Field Marshals have been appointed yet. Two persons were exceptionally ranked as General: General Osmani, chief of Bangladesh Liberation Force in 1971 and General Mustafizur Rahman in 2000 (later demoted one step). On May 2007, the post of the Chief of Army Staff was promoted from Lt. Gen. to General and General Moeen U Ahmed is serving this modified post for the first time. On the same day the rank of Chief of Air Staff was promoted to Air Marshal from Air Vice Marshal, and the Chief of Naval Staff Sarwar Jahan Nizam was promoted to Vice Admiral from Rear Admiral. It must be noted that the practice of keeping Chief of Army Staff senior over Chief of Air Staff and Chief Naval Staff are maintained even with this promotion.

Organization

Branches

*Bangladesh Army ("Sena Bahini")
*Bangladesh Navy ("Nou Bahini")
*Bangladesh Air Force ("Biman Bahini")
*Rapid Action Battalion ("RAB")
* Bangladesh Rifles ("BDR")

pecialized Forces

* Special Security Forces
** Presidential Guards Regiment
** Bangladesh Army Commandos
** Para-commandos
** Special Security Forces (SSF)
** Rapid Action Battalion
* Bangladesh Coast Guard
* Bangladesh National Cadet Corps

Military Districts

No information is acquired yet.

Schools

Some of the schools listed below answers to other units, listed under the various branches of the Armed Forces.
* Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA), Bhatiary, Chittagong
* School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T), Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet.
* Defense Services Command and Staff College (DSC&SC), Mirpur Cant.
* National Defence College (NDC), Mirpur Cant, Dhaka.
* Military Institute of Science & Technology (MIST), Mirpur.
* Armoured Corps Center & School (ACC&S), Majhira Cant, Bogra.
* Engineer Centre and School of Military Engineering, Quadirabad Cant, Natore.
* Signal Training Centre and School, Jessore Cant.
* Army Service Corp Center & School, Jahanabad Cantt, Khulna.
* Ordnance Corps Centre & School, Rajendrapur Cantonment, Gazipur
* Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT), Rajendrapur Cantonment, Gazipur.
* Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Centre and School, Saidpur Cant.
* Corps of Military Police Centre and School, Shahid Salahuddin Cantt, Ghatail, Tangail.
* Army School of Education and Administration, Shahid Salahuddin Cantt Ghatail, Tangail.
* Army School of Physical Training and Sports (ASPTS), Dhaka Cant.
* Army School of Music, Ctg Cant, Ctg.
* Armed Forces Medical College, Dhaka.
* Artillery Center and School, Halishahar, Chittagong.
* School of Military Intelligence, Comilla Cant.
* Army Computer Training School (ACTS), Dhaka Cant, Dhaka.
* Army Medical Corps Center & School, Rajshahi Cantt, Rajshahi.
* East Bengal Regiment Center, Chittagong.
* Bangladesh Infantry Regiment Center & School, Rajshahi.
* Non Commissioned Officers Academy, Majhira Cant, Bogra."'

Training Institutes of Bangladesh Air Force

* Bangladesh Air Force Academy (BAFA), Jessore.
* Flying Instructors' School (FIS), Bogra.
* Command and Staff Training Institute (CSTI), Dhaka.
* Flight Safety Institute (FSI), Dhaka.
* Officers' Training School (OTS), Jessore.
* Aeromedical Institute (AMI), Dhaka.
* Fighter Controller Training Unit (FCTU), Dhaka.
* School of Physical Fitness (SOPF), Dhaka.
* Recruits Training School (RTS), Chittagong.

Cantonments

* Dhaka Cantonment
* Mirpur Cantonment
* Savar Cantonment
* Chittagong Cantonment
* Khagrachari Cantonment
* Rangamati Cantonment
* Jessore Cantonment
* Khulna Cantonment
* Rajshahi Cantonment
* Bogura Cantonment
* Sayedpur Cantonment
* Ghatail Cantonment
* Mymensing Cantonment
* Sylhet Cantonment
* Comilla Cantonment
* Rangpur Cantonment
* Jahangirabad Cantonment
* Rangamati Cantonment
* Jahanabad Cantonment, Khulna

Para-military forces

* Bangladesh Ansar
* Bangladesh National Cadet Corps
* Bangladesh Coast Guard

See also

* Government of Bangladesh

References

External links

* [http://www.army.mil.bd/ Official Website of Bangladesh Army]
* [http://www.baf.mil.bd/ Official Website of Bangladesh Air Force]
* CIA World Factbook 2001
* [http://www.bdmilitary.com Bangladesh Military]
* [http://www.bangladeshnavy.org Bangladesh Navy]

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