Victory Day Parade, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2011

The Bangladesh Armed Forces ( bn, বাংলাদেশ সশস্ত্র বাহিনী, Bangladesh Sashastra Bahinī) are the combined military forces of the

People's Republic of Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

. It consists of the three uniformed military services: the

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and def ...

, the

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...

and the

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of B ...

. The Armed Forces are under the jurisdiction of

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

of the

Government of Bangladesh The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার — ) is the central executive government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Con ...

, and is directly administered by the

Armed Forces Division The Armed Forces Division (AFD) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ সশস্ত্র বাহিনী বিভাগ — ) is the principal national command authority for national defense of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The command an ...

of the Prime Minister's Office. The

President of Bangladesh The president of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের রাষ্ট্রপতি — ) officially the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশে ...

serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. It has the third-largest defence budget in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

and according to the Global Firepower index it is the third most powerful military force in South Asia.

Border Guards Bangladesh Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The force is known as "The Vigilant Sentinels of the National Frontier". The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the borde ...

(formerly Bangladesh Rifles) and

Bangladesh Coast Guard The Bangladesh Coast Guard ( bn, বাংলাদেশ কোস্ট গার্ড; BCG) is the maritime law enforcement force of Bangladesh. It is a paramilitary force which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Its ...

are under the jurisdiction of the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

during peacetime, but during wartime they fall under the command of Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy respectively. Military policy is formulated and executed by the

(AFD) whereas the

(MoD) does not exercise any operational or policy authority over the Armed Forces. Since independence, the AFD and MoD has been led by the Prime Minister. To coordinate military policy with foreign and intelligence policy, both the president and the prime minister are advised by a six-member advisory board which consists of the three military services'

Chiefs of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the support ...

, the

Principal Staff Officer Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the office holder/ or boss in any school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level i ...

of the Armed Forces Division, and military secretaries to the president and the prime minister. The directors general of the NSI, the

DGFI The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence ( bn, প্রতিরক্ষা গোয়েন্দা মহাপরিদপ্তর), commonly known as DGFI, is the military intelligence agency of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, tas ...

and the BGB also serve in an advisory capacity, when invited.

Armed Forces Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, ...

is observed on 21 November and commemorates the founding of the three services of the Armed Forces who subsequently initiated a joint operation against the occupying Pakistan Army during the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

Official functions An official function is either an event, such as a convention, that has an official purpose for one's employment, vocation or profession-whether run by a person, institution or governmental agency-or an official duty. Attending events with officia ...

are held across the country including at

Bangabhaban The Bangabhaban ( bn, বঙ্গভবন ''Bôngobhôbôn'', lit. ''House of Bengal'') is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of Bangladesh, located on Bangabhaban Road, and short road connecting Dilkusha, Dhaka, ...

, the Armed Forces Division Headquarters at

Dhaka Cantonment Dhaka Cantonment ( bn, ঢাকা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in the northern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Army, and Bangladesh Air Force, Air Force are situated within the cantonment w ...

, all military cantonments and at every military installation throughout the country.

History

Eastern wing of Pakistan

With the partitioning of India on August 15th 1947, the territory constituting modern Bangladesh was partitioned from the province of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = East ...

, joining the newly created state of Pakistan. Ethnic and sectional discrimination prevailed in all sectors of the state. Like other government sectors, Bengalis were under-represented in the Pakistan military too. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of overall force by 1965. West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined" unlike

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

and

Punjabis The Punjabis ( Punjabi: ; ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ; romanised as Panjābīs), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group associated with the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The ...

; the "

Martial Race Martial race was a designation which was created by army officials in British India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which they classified each caste as belonging to one of two categories, the 'martial' caste and the 'non-martial' caste. T ...

s" notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by Bengalis. Moreover, despite huge defence spending, East Pakistan received none of the benefits, such as contracts, purchasing and military support jobs. The

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...

over

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis as only an under-strength

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

division and 15

combat aircraft A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat: * Combat aircraft are designed to destroy enemy equipm ...

without

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

support were in East Pakistan to thwart any Indian retaliations during the conflict. The East Bengal Regiment was formed on 15 February 1948 following Pakistan's independence and transition from post British rule, composed exclusively of men from the western part of the country. The first East Bengal Regiment was composed of Bengali members of the ''British Indian Army Pioneer Corps'' and ''Bihar Regiment'' of the abolished ''British-Indian army''. Between 1948 and 1965, a total of eight battalions of EBR were raised.

Bangladesh Liberation War

Following the victory of the

Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...

in the 1970 elections, then-president General

Yahya Khan General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan , (Urdu: ; 4 February 1917 – 10 August 1980); commonly known as Yahya Khan, was a Pakistani military general who served as the third President of Pakistan and Chief Martial Law Administrator following his pr ...

refused to appoint its leader

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengalis, Beng ...

as the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and launched a brutal attack named ''

Operation Searchlight Operation Searchlight was the codename for a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in an effort to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971. Pakistan retrospectively justified the opera ...

'' on the civilians of the then East Pakistan, using the Pakistani army to repress political movements. The number of people killed by Pakistani forces vary from a minimum of around 300,000 to a maximum of around 3 million.Matthew White's
Death Tolls for the Major Wars and Atrocities of the Twentieth Century
' Responding to Mujib's call for rebellion, many students, workers and other civilians mutinied against Pakistan and raised the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

, a guerrilla force. Later on, many Bengali officers and units from

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

and

East Pakistan Rifles East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

mutinied against their West Pakistani counterparts and joined the Mukti bahini. On 17 April 1971,

Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani Muhammad Ataul Goni Osmani ( bn, মুহাম্মদ আতাউল গণি ওসমানী; 1 September 1918 – 16 February 1984), also known as ''Bangabir'' (the Hero of Bengal), was a Bengali military leader. Osmani's career ...

took oath as the commander-in-chief of Mukti bahini. While the war raged on, the necessity of a well-trained armed force was always felt. During the first Bangladesh Sector Commanders Conference, held from 11 to 17 July 1971, the

Bangladesh Forces The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

started its journey composed of the revolting Bengali members of the Pakistan Army and EPR. In this historic conference the field command structure, sector reorganization, reinforcement, appointment of field commanders and tactics of warfare were decided upon and carried out. On 21 November 1971, the Bangladesh Forces was divided into three separate services as

and

. The Bangladesh Forces received modest assistance from the Indian Government soon after the start of the war. On 3 December 1971, India-Pakistan war broke out and Indian troops enter Bangladesh allied with the Bangladesh Armed Forces. On 16 December 1971 the Pakistani Military force in Bangladesh surrender to a joint force of Indian and Bangladesh forces.

Post-independence

The newly formed Bangladeshi armed forces incorporated some of the units and guerrillas of the Mukti Bahini. Gen. Osmani, who had led the Mukti Bahini was appointed the General of the Bangladesh armed forces. For many years, there was active discrimination in favour of the inductees from the Mukti Bahini against those Bengali officers who had continued service in the Pakistani armed forces or had been detained in

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...

. A group of angered officers

assassinated Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...

the president Sheikh Mujib on 15 August 1975 and established a regime with politician

Khondaker Mostaq Ahmed Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (also spelled Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed; – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was part o ...

and new army chief Maj. Gen.

Ziaur Rahman Lt. General Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981), was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup d' ...

. The military itself was subject of divisions as Mujib's assassins were overthrown by the pro-Mujib Brig. Gen.

Khaled Mosharraf Khaled Mosharraf, Bir Uttom ( bn, খালেদ মোশাররফ; 9 November 1937 – 7 November 1975) was a Bangladeshi military officer known for his role in the Bangladesh Liberation War. Khaled was the Sector Commander of Bangladesh ...

on 3 November, who himself was soon overthrown by a socialist group of officers under Col.

Abu Taher Abu Taher ( bn, আবু তাহের) (14 November 1938 – 21 July 1976) was a Bengalis, Bengali military serviceman, who served in the Pakistan Army, and later in Bangladesh Forces, BDF. He crossed into India around early August and r ...

on 7 November who returned Ziaur Rahman to power—an event now called the '' Sipoy-Janata Biplob'' (''Soldiers and People's Coup''). Under the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, the military was reorganised to remove conflicts between rival factions and discontented cadre. However, Ziaur Rahman was himself overthrown in a 1981 coup attempt, and a year later, Lt. Gen.

Hossain Mohammad Ershad Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad ( bn, হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদ; 1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi Army Chief politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990, a time ma ...

took power from the elected government of president

Abdus Sattar ʻAbd al-Sattār (ALA-LC romanization of ar, عبد الستّار) is an Arabic Muslim male given name, built on the Arabic words '' ʻabd'' and ''al-Sattār''. The name means "servant of the Veiler (of sins)". Because the letter s is a sun lett ...

. The military remained the most important force in national politics under the regimes of Ziaur Rahman and later Hossain Mohammad Ershad until democracy was restored in 1991.

Modern period

Having relied primarily on India and

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

for military aid, Bangladesh has also developed military ties with the People's Republic of China and the United States. The Bangladesh Army has been actively involved in United Nations Peace Support Operations (UNPSO). During the first

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

in 1991, the Bangladesh Army sent a 2,193 member team to monitor peace in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

and

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

. The Bangladesh Army also participated in peace keeping activities in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Western Sahara Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the r ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

, Georgia,

East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...

, Congo,

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. As of October 2008, Bangladesh remained the second largest contributor with 9,800 troops in the UN Peacekeeping forces. Until a peace accord was signed in 1997, the Bangladeshi military engaged in

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...

operations in the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeast ...

fighting the

Shanti Bahini The Shanti Bahini ( bn, শান্তি বাহিনী; meaning "Peace Force") was the armed wing of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts) in Bangladesh. It is considered an insu ...

separatist group. In 2001, Bangladeshi military units engaged in clashes with the Indian

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...

(BSF) along the northern border. Several projects and schemes aiming to expand and modernize the Bangladeshi armed forces were launched by the government of former Prime Minister

Begum Khaleda Zia Khaleda Zia (; born Khaleda Khanam Putul in 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Ba ...

Forces Goal 2030 Forces Goal 2030 is a military modernization program of the Bangladesh Armed Forces which began in 2009 and revised in 2017, designed to the capabilities of the three services of the Bangladesh armed forces: the Army, the Navy and the Air Forc ...

was launched by the government of Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...

to secure new equipment for the Bangladeshi military.

Bangladesh-Myanmar border

Standoffs have occasionally occurred at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, including in 1991 and 2008. Most of the standoffs took place when Myanmar attempted to force

Rohingya The Rohingya people () are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group who predominantly follow Islam and reside in Rakhine State, Myanmar (previously known as Burma). Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an ...

s into Bangladesh. In 2008, the two countries deployed warships after Myanmar attempted to explore a disputed Bay of Bengal seabed for oil and gas. The dispute was resolved at an international tribunal in 2012. Bangladesh and Myanmar have also conducted

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...

operations on the border. * 2008 Bangladesh–Myanmar naval standoff * 2015 Bangladesh-Arakan Army border clash

Medals and decorations

The following are the various gallantry, service and war medals of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Gallantry awards

Bir Sreshtho The Bir Sreshtho ( bn, বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ; ), is the highest military award of Bangladesh. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and died in action for their nation. They are considered martyrs. The other ...

-( bn, বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ; literally, "The Most Valiant Hero"), the highest gallantry award * Bir Uttom ribbon

Bir Uttom Bir Uttom ( bn, বীর উত্তম, lit=Great Valiant Hero) is the second highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh after the Bir Sreshtho and the highest gallantry award for a living individual. Since the independence of Bang ...

- ( bn, বীর উত্তম; literally, "Better among Braves"), the second highest gallantry award *

Bir Bikrom Bir Bikrom ( bn, বীর বিক্রম, lit=Valiant hero, translit=) is the third highest gallantry award in Bangladesh. Like the other gallantry awards, this was introduced immediately after the Bangladeshi Liberation War. Bir Bikrom was ...

- ( bn, বীর বিক্রম; literally, "Valiant hero"), the third highest gallantry award * Bir Protik ribbon

Bir Protik Bir Protik ( bn, বীর প্রতীক ''Bīr Pratīk'', "Symbol of Bravery or Idol of Courage") is the fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh. Recipients This award was declared on 15 December 1973. A total of 426 people have rece ...

- ( bn, বীর প্রতীক; literally, "Symbol of Bravery or Idol of Courage"), the fourth highest gallantry award

Service medals

Order of Military Merit *

Jestha Padak I (10 years service) *

Jestha Padak II (20 years service) *

Jestha Padak III (30 years service)

Current deployments

Bangladesh has consistently made large contributions to United Nations

peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United N ...

operations. As of May 2007, Bangladesh had major deployments in

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, Liberia,

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, Sudan,

Timor-Leste East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...

and

Cote d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. With 10,736 troops deployed, it ranks first in personnel contributions to UN peacekeeping. The government declined to participate in Iraq on a request from the United States. 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 and educated for three years at the

Bangladesh Military Academy Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) is the officers training institute for the officer cadets of Bangladesh Army. It is located in Bhatiary, near Chittagong Hill Tracts, in the Chittagong District of south-east Bangladesh, about 13 kilometres ...

, Bhatiary,

Bangladesh Naval Academy The Bangladesh Naval Academy is situated at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River at Patenga, Chittagong District, Bangladesh. Bathed by the river Karnaphuli on the east and sheltered on the south by the Bay of Bengal, BNA stands in a panoramic natu ...

at Patenga, both located in

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

and

Bangladesh Air Force Academy Bangladesh Air Force Academy (BAFA) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী একাডেমি) is a training and education academy which provides initial training to all men and women who are preparing to be officers ...

located in

Jessore Jessore ( bn, যশোর, jôshor, ), officially Jashore, is a city of Jessore District situated in Khulna Division. It is situated in the south-western part of Bangladesh. It is the administrative centre (headquarter) of the eponymous district ...

. For advance training during their career, officers are sent to Bangladesh Defence Services Command and Staff College at Mirpur, while senior officers attend the

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

for

Armed Forces War Course Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame ...

. Many attend the

Military Institute of Science and Technology Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) ( bn, মিলিটারি ইনস্টিটিউট অফ সায়েন্স অ্যান্ড টেকনোলজি) is a prestigious public engineering university in Ba ...

while serving. Officers of the Army Medical Corps are recruited after graduation from both military or civil medical colleges. They undergo basic military training at Bangladesh Military Academy followed by professional training in medical corps centre and Armed Forces Medical Institute. Recently cadets of

Armed Forces Medical College upright=1.1, AFMC main building The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) is a leading medical training institute in Pune, India, in the state of Maharashtra. The college is managed by the Indian Armed Forces. Established in May 1948 as a post ...

also started joining the services directly.

Ranks

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

military ranks, essentially corresponds to those used by the armed forces of the commonwealth nations. The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the Armed forces respectively.

Organization

Regular forces

(''Bangladesh Sena Bahini'') *

(''Bangladesh Nou-bahini'') *

(''Bangladesh Biman Bahini'')

Para-military forces

Border Guard Bangladesh Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) are a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The force is known as "The Vigilant Sentinels of the National Frontier". The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the borde ...

(''BGB'') *

(''BCG'')

Civil forces and reserves

Bangladesh Ansar The Bangladesh Ansar (also known as the Ansar Bahini) is a paramilitary auxiliary force responsible for the preservation of internal security and law enforcement in Bangladesh. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government ...

Village Defence Party The Village Defence Party (VDPs) is a law enforcement force in Bangladesh, organised in distinct units at the level of individual villages and urban towns. It is administered by the Home Ministry of the central Government of Bangladesh. Although do ...

(''VDP'') *

Bangladesh National Cadet Corps The Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) is a tri-services volunteer reserve force comprising the Army, Navy and Air Force for school, college and university students. Students are trained by military staffs and personnel all through the cade ...

(''BNCC'')

Specialized forces

President Guard Regiment The President Guard Regiment (PGR) is a military unit under the Executive Office of the President of Bangladesh. It is located at Dhaka Cantonment, Banga Bhaban and Ganabhaban. It provides military support for all security functions; including ...

(''PGR'') –

( President's Office) *

Special Security Force The Special Security Force (SSF) is a Bangladeshi law enforcement agency that provides protection to government officials and foreign dignitaries. Responsibility The mission of the SSF is to provide physical security to the President an ...

(''SSF'') – Prime Minister's Office * Para-Commando Brigade (The Cheetahs) – Under Command AHQ,

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

Special Warfare Diving And Salvage The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage ( bn, স্পেশাল ওয়ারফেয়ার ডাইভিং অ্যান্ড স্যালভেজ) or SWADS is an elite special operational unit of the Bangladesh Navy. Memb ...

(''SWADS'') –

41 Squadron Airborne The 41 Squadron Airborne is an independent special operations force of the Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare ...

Special Ground Combatants Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * Specials ( ...

(SGC) –

Military districts

* Savar Area Command * Ghatail Area Command,Tangail * Bogra Area Command * Rangpur Area Command * Comilla Area Command * Chittagong Area Command * Ramu Area Command * Jessore Area Command * Sylhet Area Command * Barisal Area Command *

Army Training and Doctrine Command An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

* Army Logistics Area

* HQ All Military Lands * HQ Cantonment Boards * HQ's of Bangladesh Army * Armed Forces Division (AFD) * 46 Independent Infantry Brigade * 24 Independent Engineers Brigade * 18 Engineers Brigade * 6 Air Defence Brigade * 14 Army Signal Brigade * HQ, President's Guard Regiment * Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB) * HQ's Armed Forces Medical and Nursing Corps (AFMNC) * Central Officer's Record Office (CORO) * HQ's Armed Forces Recruiting Centre (AFRC) * HQ's Cantonment Public Schools * HQ's Armed Forces Library * Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) * National Armed Forces Cemetery

Educational and training institutes

* Army Institute of Business Administration (Army IBA), Savar Cantonment, Dhaka *

(BMA), Bhatiary, Chittagong *

School of Infantry and Tactics School of Infantry and Tactics is a Bangladesh army infantry and special forces training institute. The institute was founded in 1973 and is based in Jalalabad Cantonment. History The institute was formed on 19 March 1973 at Comilla Cantonment. I ...

(SI&T), Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet. *

Defence Services Command and Staff College The Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) is situated at Batalanda, Makola (South) 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri ...

(DSC&SC), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. * National Defence College (NDC), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. *

(MIST), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. * Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), Majira Cantonment, Bogra. * Engineer Centre and School of Military Engineering, Qadirabad Cantonment, Natore. * Signal Training Centre and School, Jashore Cantonment, Jashore. * Army Service Corp Centre & School, Jahanabad Cantonment, Khulna. * Army Medical Corps Centre & School, Shaheed Salahuddin Cantonment, Ghatail, Tangail. * 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 Cantonment, Nilphamari. * Corps of Military Police Centre and School, Savar Cantonment, Savar, Dhaka. * Army School of Education and Administration, Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment, Ghatail, Tangail. * Army School of Physical Training and Sports (ASPTS), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka. * Army School of Music, Chittagong Cantonment, Chittagong. *

(AFMC), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka. * Army Medical College Chattogram (AMCC) * Army Medical College Comilla (AMCCo) *

Army Medical College Bogra An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

(AMCB) *

Army Medical College Jessore An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

(AMCJ) *

Rangpur Army Medical College Rangpur army Medical College (RAMC) ( bn, রংপুর আর্মি মেডিকেল কলেজ) is a military medical school, established in 2014. It is located within Rangpur Cantonment, in Rangpur, Bangladesh. It is affiliated ...

(RAMC) Artillery Centre and School, Halishahar, Chittagong. * School of Military Intelligence, Moynamoti Cantonment, Comilla. * East Bengal Regimental Centre, Chittagong Cantonment, Chittagong. * Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Centre, Rajshahi Cantonment, Rajshahi. * Non Commissioned Officers Academy, Majira Cantonment, Bogra. *

Bangladesh University Of Professionals Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) is the 31st public university of Bangladesh (according to University Grants Commission of Bangladesh), located in Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. It is the first public university of Bangladesh to be run by ...

(BUP), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka.

Training institutes of Bangladesh Air Force

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University is a public university in Bangladesh. It is funded by the government of Bangladesh and is Bangladesh's first higher education institution on aerospace engineering. Its campus ...

(BAFA), Jessore. *

Flying Instructors School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at R ...

(FIS), Bogra. * Command and Staff Training Institute (CSTI), Dhaka.
Flight Safety Institute
(FSI), Dhaka.

(OTS), Jessore.

(AMI), Dhaka.

(FCTU), Dhaka.

(SOPF), Dhaka.

(RTS), Chittagong.

(TW), Chittagong.

(MTDS), Shamsher Nagar. *Helicopter Simulator Institute BAF(HSI), Dhaka

Training Institutes of Bangladesh Navy

(BNA), Chittagong. * BNS Shaheed Moazzem, Kaptai, Rangamati Hill District, Chittagong. (For Sailor's Advanced Training) * BNS ISA KHAN, Chittagong (Home of 13 Different Training Schools) * BNS TITUMIR, Khulna (Home of New Entry Training School (NETS) and School of Logistics and Management (SOLAM)) * School of Maritime Warfare & Tactics, Chittagong Port.

Army Cantonments

Cantonments A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the colonial-era). In United States military parlance, a cantonment is, essent ...

are where Bangladesh Army personnel work, train, and live. *

Alikadam Cantonment Alikadam Cantonment ( bn, আলীকদম সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located outside of Bandarban. The 24th Infantry Division (Bangladesh) inhabits the cantonment. It is one of five cantonments in Chittagong Hill Tracts are ...

(

Bandarban Bandarban ( bn, বান্দরবান, Chakma: 𑄝𑄚𑄴𑄘𑄧𑄢𑄴𑄝𑄚𑄴) is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of ...

) *

Bandarban Cantonment Bandarban Cantonment ( bn, বান্দরবন সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Bandarban. The headquarter of 69th Infantry Brigade of Bangladesh Army locate here. It is one of five cantonment in Chittagong Hill Tracts ...

(Bandarban) *

(

Chittagong District Chittagong District, renamed the Chattogram District, is a district located in the south-eastern region of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division. The port city of Chattogram, which is the second largest city in Bangladesh, is ...

) * Bogra Cantonment (

Bogra Bogra ( bn, বগুড়া), officially known as Bogura, is a major city located in Bogra District, Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. The city is a major commercial hub in Northern Bangladesh. It is the second largest city in Rajshahi Divi ...

) *

Chittagong Cantonment Chattogram Cantonment is situated near Bayezid Bostami of Chattogram, Bangladesh. It is the headquarters of 24th infantry division. History An Indian army tank captured by the East Bengal Regiment (based in Chattogram cantonment) near Lahore ...

(

) *

Comilla Cantonment Cumilla Cantonment ( bn, কুমিল্লা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located near Mainamati, Cumilla city in Bangladesh. The personnel of Bangladesh Army with local civilian inhabit here. The 33rd Infantry Division HQ is ...

(

Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

) *

(

) *

Dighinala Cantonment Dighinala Cantonment ( bn, দীঘিনালা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment in Dighinala, outside of Khagrachari. 24th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army inhabit here. It is one of five cantonment in Chittagong Hill Tract ...

(

Khagrachari Khagrachari ( bn, খাগড়াছড়ি) is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. History The Chittagong Hill Tracts was under the reign of the Tripura Sta ...

) *

Halishahar Cantonment Halishahar Cantonment is a cantonment situated at Halishahar in Chittagong. This is one of 28 cantonments across Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-m ...

(Chittagong) *

Jahanabad Cantonment Jahanabad Cantonment is the Bangladeshi military cantonment in Khulna, Bangladesh. Education * Cantonment Public College, Jahanabad, Khulna. * Army Service Corps Centre and School (ASC&S) * RVFC Records office * Branch Recruiting Unit, Khulna * ...

(

Khulna Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...

) *

Jahangirabad Cantonment Jahangirabad Cantonment is located in Bogra, is a Cantonment near Bogra city Bypass road. It is the HQ of 11th artillery brigade. Education * Jahangirabad Cantonment Public School See also * Comilla Cantonment * Alikadam Cantonment * Savar ...

(Bogra) *

Jalalabad Cantonment Jalalabad Cantonment ( bn, জালালাবাদ সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Jalalabad Cantonment is the home of the Bangladesh Army's 17th Infantry Division, the School of Infantry & Tactics ...

(

Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...

) *

Jamuna Cantonment Jamuna Cantonment (officially known as Bangabandhu Cantonment) is a Bangladeshi military cantonment near Bangabandhu Bridge in Bhuapur Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh. The cantonment has been named in line with the name of Bangabandhu Bridg ...

( Bhuapur,

Tangail Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল, ), is a major city within the Dhaka Division in central Bangladesh. It sits on the bank of the Louhajang River, north-west of Dhaka, the nation's capital. It is considered to be the main urban area of ...

) *

Jessore Cantonment Jashore Cantonment is a cantonment located in the southern part of Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a popu ...

(

) *

Kaptai Cantonment Kaptai Cantonment is a cantonment located at Kaptai in Rangamati District. A navy base and the headquarters of 65th infantry brigade, which was under 24th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army, are located in Kaptai. In 2015, the brigade was tran ...

( Kaptai) *

Khagrachari Cantonment Khagrachhari Cantonment ( bn, খাগড়াছড়ি সেনানিবাস, Khagrachhori Senanibas) is a cantonment located in Khagrachhari, Bangladesh. 203rd Infantry Brigade of Bangladesh Army inhabit here. It is under the jurisdic ...

(Khagrachari) * Kholahati Cantonment ( Parbatipur,

Dinajpur Dinajpur ( bn, দিনাজপুর ) is a city and the District headquarters of Dinajpur district situated in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. It was founded in 1786. It is located 413 km north-west of Dhaka in Bangladesh. It is bounde ...

) * Mirpur Cantonment ( Mirpur) *

Mymensingh Cantonment Mymensingh Cantonment (Officially known as Momenshahi Cantonment) was the headquarters of the 19th Infantry Division of the Bangladesh Army. Presently it has the headquarters of ARTDOC which consists of its Battle Group and all the training instit ...

(

Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...

) *

Padma Cantonment Sheikh Russel Cantonment is a Bangladeshi military cantonment near Padma Bridge in Munshiganj and Shariatpur Districts, Bangladesh. The cantonment has been named after Sheikh Russel, younger brother of Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed ...

(

Munshiganj Munshiganj ( bn, মুন্সীগঞ্জ), also historically known as Bikrampur, is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District. Geography Total land area is 235974 acres (954 km2), ...

and

Shariatpur Shariatpur ( bn, শরিয়তপুর জেলা, ''Shariatpur Jela'' also ''Shariatpur Zila'') is a district in the Dhaka Division of central Bangladesh. It is bounded by Munshiganj district on the north, Barisal district on the south, C ...

) * Postogola Cantonment (Dhaka) * Qadirabad Cantonment (

Natore Natore district is a district of Rajshahi Division located in northern Bangladesh. It borders the metropolitan city of Rajshahi, and used to be part of Rajshahi district. History Natore was the District Headquarters of Rajshahi from 1769 to 182 ...

) *

Rajendrapur Cantonment Rajendrapur Cantonment is a cantonment located in Rajendrapur, Gazipur, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. History The illicit weapons in the Purulia arms drop case had stated Rajendrapur in their end user certificate. Institutions *Combined Military H ...

(

Gazipur Gazipur ( bn, গাজীপুর) is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Gazipur District. It is a major industrial city north of Dhaka. It is a hub for the textile industry in Bangladesh. Its other name is Joydebpur. Demogra ...

) *

Rajshahi Cantonment Rajshahi Cantonment is the Bangladeshi military cantonment in Rajshahi. It is the home of Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Centre. Institutions * Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Centre. *BIRC Training Battalion Education * Rajshahi Cantonment Publ ...

(

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous Rajshahi Division, division and Rajshahi District ...

) * Ramu Cantonment (

Ramu The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about northwest to the Bismarck Sea. Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributaries ...

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...

) *

Rangamati Cantonment Rangamati Cantonment ( bn, রাঙ্গামাটি সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Rangamati. 305th Infantry Brigade of Bangladesh Army inhabit here under 24th infantry division.. It is one of five cantonment in Chi ...

(

Rangamati Rangamati (Bengali: রাঙ্গামাটি;) is the administrative headquarter and town of Rangamati Hill District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an altitude of . The distr ...

) *

Rangpur Cantonment Rangpur Cantonment ( bn, রংপুর সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Rangpur, Bangladesh. It is the headquarter of 66th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army. History The mass of the city of Rangpur were protesting a ...

( Rangpur) *

Saidpur Cantonment Saidpur Cantonment is the Bangladeshi military cantonment in Saidpur, Nilphamari District, Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country ...

(

Saidpur Saidpur may refer to: __NOTOC__ Bangladesh * Saidpur, Bangladesh, a city in Bangladesh ** Saidpur Airport * Saidpur Cantonment, a cantonment of the Bangladesh Army * Saidpur Upazila, an Upazila of Nilphamari District India * Saidpur (Assembly con ...

, nilphamary) *

Savar Cantonment Savar Cantonment ( bn, সাভার সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The 9th infantry division of Bangladesh Army is garrisoned there. Corps of Military Police Centre & School (CMPC&S) and the ...

(

Savar Savar ( bn, সাভার) is a city in central Bangladesh, located in Dhaka District in the Dhaka Division, division of Dhaka. It is the closest city from Dhaka. It is also a part of Greater Dhaka conurbation which forms the Greater Dhaka, D ...

) *

Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment is a cantonment located in Ghatail Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh. Ghatail Area Commander is Major General Sayed Tareq Hussain Syed Tareq Hussain awc, psc is a Major General of Bangladesh Army and incumbent Comm ...

(

Ghatail Ghatail ( bn, ঘাটাইল) is a town of Ghatail Upazila, Tangail, Bangladesh. The town is situated north of Tangail city and northwest of Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the cap ...

, Tangail) *

Sheikh Hasina cantonment Sheikh Hasina Cantonment is the headquarter of 7th Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army. It is located in Lebukhali, Patuakhali. The area of the cantonment is 1532 acres. The project will be completed by the Ministry of Defence by June 2021. Hi ...

(

Patuakhali Patuakhali ( bn, পটুয়াখালী ''Potuakhali'') is a town and district headquarter of Patuakhali District located on the southern bank of Laukathi river in the division of Barisal in Bangladesh. It is the administrative headquar ...

)

Air Force bases

* BAF Base Bangabandhu (Dhaka) * BAF Base Sheikh Hasina (Cox's Bazar) * BAF Base Khademul Bashar (Dhaka) * BAF Base Matiur Rahman (Jessore) * BAF Base Paharkanchanpur (Tangail) * BAF Base Zahurul Haq (Chittagong)

Navy bases

* BNS Haji Mohshin (Dhaka) * BNS Sheikh Mujib (Dhaka) * BNS Issa Khan (Chittagong) *

BNS Shaheed Moazzem BNS Shaheed Moazzem is a naval base of the Bangladesh Navy, established after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, and named in honour of shaheed (Martyr) Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain

(Rangamati) * BNS Sheikh Hasina (Cox's Bazar) *

BNS Sher-e-Bangla BNS Sher-e-Bangla is the first full-fledged naval base being developed for the Bangladesh Navy as part of the development vision of Bangladesh Armed Forces Forces Goal 2030. With an area of 500 acres this will be the largest naval base of the Bang ...

(Patuakhali) *

BNS Titumir BNS ''Titumir'' ( bn, বানৌজা তিতুমীর) is a naval base of the Bangladeshi Navy, founded after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, and located in Khulna. Till 1971 it was titled as PNS Titumir as Bangladesh was then pa ...

(Khulna) *

BNS Ulka BNS Ulka is an establishment of the Bangladeshi Navy. Career The Ulka is currently serving under the Commander Chittagong Naval Area( COMCHIT). About 200 personnel serve at Ulka, which is one of the smaller bases in the Bangladesh Navy. Ulka was ...

(Chittagong) * BNS Vatiary (Chittagong) * BNS Nirvik (Chittagong) * BNS Mongla (Bagerhat)

Future modernisation plans

Bangladesh has made a long term modernisation plan for its Armed Forces named

. The plan includes the modernization and expansion of all equipment and infrastructures and providing enhanced training.

Gallery

File:US Navy 071126-N-1831S-104 A member of the Bangladesh Army helps unload bags of purified water from a CH-46 Sea Knight assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).jpg, Humanitarian operation after

Cyclone Sidr Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Sidr was a tropical cyclone that resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in Bangladesh. The fourth named storm of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Sidr formed in the central Bay of Bengal, and q ...

File:US Navy 071123-M-7696M-099 Bangladeshi soldiers use a stretcher to unload a shipment of bottled water delivered by Marines of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261.jpg, Bangladesh Army soldiers unload a shipment of bottled water for cyclone victims. File:US Navy 071203-M-3095K-030 Bangladeshis help onload boxes of food to a waiting CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) at Barisal Airfield.jpg, Bangladesh Army personnel unloading boxes of food for cyclone victims at

Barisal Barisal ( or ; bn, বরিশাল, ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal Dist ...

File:Bdunmsn3.jpg, Bangladesh Army personnel and

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

in UN peacekeeping mission File:Army Vehicle waiting near Abahani ground.jpg, Army soldiers on active duty in

File:Victory Day Parade.jpg, Army personnel at Victory Day Parade 2012 File:Bangladesh Army MBTs. (39282719792).jpg, Bangladesh Army's

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s at Victory Day Parade 2017 File:Bangladesh Army MBT2000. (39072813711).jpg, Bangladesh Army's

MBT-2000 The Al-Khalid ( ur, —, literally "The Eternal Tank") is a Pakistani main battle tank developed by Heavy Industries Taxila since the 1990s. It is based on the Chinese Type 90-IIM tan, whose original prototype was developed by China North ...

main battle tank File:Type 69-IIMA tank.jpg, Bangladesh Army's Type-69 IIG main battle tank File:Bd army eurocopter.jpg, AS365 Dauphin helicopter of

Bangladesh Army Aviation Group The Army Aviation Group is the army aviation unit of the Bangladesh Army. The AAG conducts military air operations and is responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation resources in the Army. History Origin The unit star ...

File:Bangladesh Army Aviation CN-295W.jpg,

C-295 The CASA C-295 (now Airbus C295) is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA. Work on what would become the C-295 was started during the 1990s as a derivative of ...

transport aircraft of Bangladesh Army File:BTR-80 of Bangladesh Army.png,

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

armoured personnel carrier of Bangladesh Army File:Bangladesh navy frigate Somudro Joy (F-28) at Pearl Harbor in 2013.JPG, Bangladesh navy frigate BNS Somudra Joy (F-28) at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

in 2013 File:Bangladesh Navy Ship Bangabandhu (F-25).jpg,

BNS Bangabandhu BNS ''Bangabandhu'' ( bn, বানৌজা বঙ্গবন্ধু) is a guided-missile frigate of the Bangladesh Navy. She is currently based at Chattogram, serving with the Commodore Commanding BN Flotilla (COMBAN). She is currently the ...

(F-25)

guided missile frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

at sea. File:BNS OSMAN (F-18).JPEG,

BNS Osman BNS ''Osman'' was a modified Type 053H frigate of the Bangladesh Navy, bought in 1988 from China. She was the first guided missile frigate to enter service with the Bangladesh Navy. The ship was named after the third Rashidun Caliph Uthman. D ...

(F-18) guided missile frigate at sea File:BNS Somudra Avijan moored in Alameda, CA.jpg, Bangladesh navy frigate BNS Somudra Avijan (F-29) at

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda (island), Alam ...

, in 2015 File:Bangladesh Navy Ship Sangu (P-713).jpg, Bangladesh navy patrol ship

BNS Sangu BNS may stand for: *Baltic News Service *Bandai Namco Studios *Bangladesh Navy Ship prefix *Barnes railway station, England, station code *Bathiya and Santhush, Sri Lankan hip hop duo *Beijing National Stadium *Best Node Search algorithm *British N ...

File:Bangladesh Navy Ships Bangabandhu (F-25), right, and Sangu (P-713).jpg, Bangladesh Navy frigate and OPV at Exercise CARAT 2012 conducted by

US Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor� ...

File:US Navy 110921-N-HA376-268 Lt. j.g. David Zicarelli, assigned to the guided-missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54), debriefs Bangladesh Navy Special War.jpg, Bangladesh Navy SWADS personnel amid a joint military exercise with the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

in 2011 File:BNS Nirmul.jpg,

BNS Nirmul BNS ''Nirmul'' is a semi-stealth large patrol craft (LPC) of the Bangladesh Navy. She is the second ship of the class. She entered service with the Bangladesh Navy in 2013. Design BNS Nirmul is of long, wide and has a Draft (hull), draught ...

Durjoy-class patrol craft of Navy File:Mikoyan MiG-29.jpg, Flypast of victory day, 2016 at National Parade Ground File:36100 Bangladesh Air Force MIG-29 Landing (8141565769).jpg, Bangladesh Air Force

Mikoyan MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (russian: Микоян МиГ-29; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG- ...

multirole fighter aircraft File:Bangladesh Air Force Mig-29 (7731000456).jpg, Bangladesh Air Force Mig-29 rushes of for a short mission File:FT-7 BG Low Fly Pass over VGHS Runway (8124347638).jpg, Chengdu F-7 BG

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

of Bangladesh Air Force File:S3-AGE@PEK (20200417154352).jpg,

Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems. The C-130J is the newest v ...

military transport aircraft A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military aircraft, military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to ma ...

of Bangladesh Air Force File:S3-AGA, Bangladesh Air Force C-130B.jpg, Lockheed C-130B military transport aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force File:Bangladesh Air Force Antonov An-32 S3-ACA (8042300010).jpg, Bangladesh Air Force

Antonov An-32 The Antonov An-32 ( NATO reporting name: Cline) is a turboprop twin-engined military transport aircraft. Design and development The An-32 is essentially a re-engined An-26. It is designed to withstand adverse weather conditions better than the ...

(converted

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

) File:Mi-171Sh helicopter used by Bangladesh Air Force (29).png, Mil Mi-171Sh assault helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force File:Bangladesh Air Force Mil Mi-17 245 Flight Past (8219306335).jpg, Bangladesh Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopter at UN Peacekeeping mission File:Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) paratroopers descend from a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft over Bangladesh during exercise Cope South 14 Nov. 12, 2013 131112-F-SI013-572.jpg, Bangladesh Air Force

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...

s descend from a C-130 aircraft

Notes

References

External links

Official Website of Bangladesh Army

Official Website of Bangladesh Air Force
{{authority control Government agencies of Bangladesh Military of Bangladesh