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 eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. 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 defe ...

, 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 impo ...

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 state ...

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 of the Prime Minister's Office. The President of Bangladesh 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 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" * Ministr ...

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 Armed Forces Division (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 Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, and military secretaries to the president and the prime minister. The directors general of the NSI, the DGFI 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 Octobe ...

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 armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...

. Official functions 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 Avenue ...

, the Armed Forces Division Headquarters at Dhaka Cantonment, 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, predo ...

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 r ...

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. T ...

; the " Martial Races" 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 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 encompass ...

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 mar ...

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 equi ...

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 e ...

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, ...

in the 1970 elections, then-president General Yahya Khan 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 Bengali politi ...

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 n ...

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 oper ...

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

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the 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 British India, which occurred as a result ...

and East Pakistan Rifles mutinied against their West Pakistani counterparts and joined the Mukti bahini. On 17 April 1971, Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani 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 ...

. A group of angered officers assassinated the president Sheikh Mujib on 15 August 1975 and established a regime with politician Khondaker Mostaq Ahmed as President of Bangladesh 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 on 3 November, who himself was soon overthrown by a socialist group of officers under Col. Abu Taher 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 took power from the elected government of president Abdus Sattar. 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 List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

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 Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

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 Asia (, ) is one of t ...

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 no ...

. 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 a ...

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 ...

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. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The south ...

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 Equat ...

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, Mal ...

, former

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

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

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 ...

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 , Sierr ...

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 Eur ...

, 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 no ...

. 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 revolutionari ...

operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts fighting the Shanti Bahini 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 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 since January ...

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 Rohingyas 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 revolutionari ...

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-( 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 Ban ...

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

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

Bir Protik- ( 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 ...

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 ...

, Sudan, Timor-Leste and Cote d'Ivoire. 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, Bhatiary, Bangladesh Naval Academy 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 located in Jessore. 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. Many attend the Military Institute of Science and Technology 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 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 (''BGB'') * Bangladesh Coast Guard (''BCG'')

Civil forces and reserves

* Bangladesh Ansar * Village Defence Party (''VDP'') * Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (''BNCC'')

Specialized forces

* President Guard Regiment (''PGR'') –

( President's Office) * Special Security Force (''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 (''SWADS'') –

* 41 Squadron Airborne - Special Ground Combatants (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 * Army Logistics Area Dhaka Cantonment * 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 * Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA), Bhatiary, Chittagong * School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T), Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet. * Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSC&SC), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. * National Defence College (NDC), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka. * Military Institute of Science and Technology (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. * Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka. * Army Medical College Chattogram (AMCC) * Army Medical College Comilla (AMCCo) * Army Medical College Bogra (AMCB) * Army Medical College Jessore (AMCJ) * Rangpur Army Medical College (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(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 ...

* Bangladesh Air Force Academy (BAFA), Jessore. * Flying Instructors School (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

* Bangladesh Naval Academy (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 are where Bangladesh Army personnel work, train, and live. * Alikadam Cantonment (

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) * Bangladesh Military Academy ( Chittagong District) * 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 Div ...

) * Chittagong Cantonment (

) * Comilla Cantonment (

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 ...

) * Dhaka Cantonment (

) * Dighinala Cantonment ( Khagrachari) * Halishahar Cantonment (Chittagong) * Jahanabad Cantonment (

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 (Bogra) * Jalalabad Cantonment ( Sylhet) * Jamuna Cantonment ( 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 ( Jessore) * Kaptai Cantonment ( Kaptai) * Khagrachari Cantonment (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 bound ...

) * Mirpur Cantonment ( Mirpur) * Mymensingh Cantonment (

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 (

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) * 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 Dhaka Division ( bn, ঢাকা বিভাগ, ''Ḑhaka Bibhag'') is an administrative division within Bangladesh. Dhaka serves as the capital cit ...

(

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. Demog ...

) * Rajshahi Cantonment (

Rajshahi Rajshahi ( bn, রাজশাহী, ) is a metropolitan city and a major urban, commercial and educational centre of Bangladesh. It is also the administrative seat of the eponymous division and district. Located on the north bank of the Pad ...

) * 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 tributarie ...

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) * Rangpur Cantonment ( Rangpur) * Saidpur Cantonment ( Saidpur, nilphamary) * Savar Cantonment (

Savar Savar ( bn, সাভার) is a city in central Bangladesh, located in Dhaka District in the division of Dhaka. It is the closest city from Dhaka. It is also a part of Greater Dhaka conurbation which forms the Dhaka megacity. About 296,85 ...

) * Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment ( Ghatail, Tangail) * Sheikh Hasina cantonment ( Patuakhali)

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 (Rangamati) * BNS Sheikh Hasina (Cox's Bazar) * BNS Sher-e-Bangla (Patuakhali) * BNS Titumir (Khulna) * BNS Ulka (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 Forces Goal 2030. 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 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 Dis ...

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 s ...

s at Victory Day Parade 2017 File:Bangladesh Army MBT2000. (39072813711).jpg, Bangladesh Army's MBT-2000 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 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 ...

in 2013 File:Bangladesh Navy Ship Bangabandhu (F-25).jpg, BNS Bangabandhu (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 (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 " tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda Island, but also spans Bay Farm Island and Coast Guard Island, a ...

, 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 * Bri ...

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 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 o ...

in 2011 File:BNS Nirmul.jpg, BNS Nirmul 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 Mi ...

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 ...

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

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 (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 torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircr ...

) 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