The Bangladesh Army carried out a significant reshuffle of its top leadership, days after BNP leader Tarique Rahman assumed office as the country’s new prime minister following a landslide election victory.
According to defence ministry sources, cited by The Daily Star, Lieutenant General Mainur Rahman, previously general officer commanding of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC), has been appointed as the chief of general staff (CGS).
He succeeds Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim, who recently retired.
In another key change, Major General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, formerly commanding the 24th Infantry Division in Chattogram, has been promoted to lieutenant general and appointed principal staff officer (PSO) at the Armed Forces Division.
The outgoing PSO, Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan, has been transferred to the foreign ministry for his next posting as an ambassador.
A press release said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman bestowed the rank badge of lieutenant general on the newly appointed principal staff officer, Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, in a ceremony attended by top military chiefs including Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan.
The intelligence branch also saw major changes. Brigadier General Mohammad Kaisar Rashid Chowdhury has been promoted to major general and named director general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). The former DGFI chief, Major General Mohammad Jahangir Alam, has been transferred to the foreign ministry.
Several divisional commands were also affected. Brigadier General Md Hafizur Rahman, who was serving as defence adviser at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, was promoted to major general and appointed general officer commanding of the 55th Infantry Division in Jashore.
Major General JM Emdadul Islam, previously leading the 55th Infantry Division, has been transferred as commandant of the East Bengal Regimental Centre, while Major General Ferdous Hasan, the outgoing commandant, has been appointed GOC of the 24th Infantry Division.
The press release highlighted the career of Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, stating he was commissioned into the Corps of Infantry on June 21, 1991, and has held several important positions, including GOC of the 24th Division, Military Secretary of the Army Headquarters, and Director General of the Directorate General of Defense Procurement.
