Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)

Commander of the Bangladesh Army

Not to be confused with Chief of Defence Staff (Bangladesh).

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Chief of Army Staff

সেনাবাহিনী প্রধান

Crest of the Chief of Army Staff

Flag of the Chief of Army Staff

Incumbent
General Waker-Uz-Zaman

since 23 June 2024

Bangladesh Army
Type| Bangladesh Army service chief
Abbreviation| CAS
Member of| National Committee on Security Affairs
Reports to|  President
Chief Adviser
Residence| Sena Bhaban, Dhaka Cantonment
Seat| Dhaka Cantonment
Appointer| The Prime Minister
with President advice and consent
Term length| 3 years,
Constituting instrument| The Army Act, 1952 of (Act No. XXXIX OF 1952)
Formation| 12 April 1971; 54 years ago (1971-04-12)
First holder| General M.A.G Osmani (Commander-in-chief)
Major General Mohammad Abdur Rab (Chief of staff)
Unofficial names| Army Chief
Deputy| Chief of the General Staff
Website| army.mil.bd

The Chief of Army Staff (CAS; Bengali: সেনাবাহিনী প্রধান, romanized: Śenabahini Prodhan) is the commander of the Bangladesh Army.[1][2][3] The Chief of Army staff has been a four-star rank since 2007. Prior to that, the Chief of Army Staff was a three-star rank from 1978 to 2007. During the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, Major general M. A. Rab was the Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army under the combined command of Bangladesh Forces which served as the origins of Bangladesh Armed Forces and General M. A. G. Osmani was the Commander-in-Chief.[4] After the War of Independence, Bangladesh Army was officially reverted to the Ministry of Defense in 1972, and Maj. Gen. K. M. Shafiullah was appointed the Chief of Army Staff.[5] The incumbent Chief of Army Staff is General Waker-Uz-Zaman.[6][7]

The office of the Chief of Army Staff functions from the Army Headquarters, which is located in the Dhaka Cantonment.[8]

## History

[edit]

The post traces its roots back to the Commander-in-Chief of the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh War of Independence and it was held by Colonel (later General) MAG Osmani. On 25 March 1971, after long negotiations and actions failed to bring desired results, Pakistan Army launched a military crackdown on its own citizens, Pakistani military planners conducted this through Operation Searchlight, which spread across the country in main centers. During the first watch of 26 March 1971, the Independence of Bangladesh was declared.[9][10][11] Another declaration was read out on 27 March 1971, by then Major Ziaur Rahman, on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman over radio at Kalurghat Radio Stn., Chittagong City.[12] As a result, in March 1971, many Bengali soldiers in the Pakistan Army revolted and joined the guerilla movement, Bangladesh Forces. Colonel (later General) Mohd. Ataul Goni Osmani served as the commander-in-chief and Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Mohd. Abdur Rab as the chief of staff.[4]

The Bangladesh Army was officially raised in January 1972. In April 1972, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman then decided to change the commanding posts of the three services which was combined and commanded by General M. A. G. Osmani. On 7 April 1972, Maj. Gen. K M Shafiullah, was made the chief of army staff.[13][14]

Chief of Army Staff's rank was upgraded to lieutenant-general in 1978 and then to four-star general in 2007.[15]

## Appointees

[edit]

The following table chronicles the appointees, to the office of the Chief of Army Staff or its preceding positions since the independence war of Bangladesh.[16][17][18]

### Commander-in-Chief, Mukti Bahini (1971–1972)

[edit]

No. | Picture  | Commander-in-Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Osmani, M. A. G.General
M. A. G. Osmani psc
(1918–1984)| 12 April 1971| 6 April 1972| 360 days| Army Service Corps[19]

### Chief of staff, Mukti Bahini (1971–1972)

[edit]

No. | Picture  | Chief of staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Abdur Rab, MohammadMajor General
Mohammad Abdur Rab Bir Uttom
(1919–1975)| 11 July 1971| 6 April 1972| 270 days| Army Service Corps

### Chiefs of Army staff (1971–present)

[edit]

Source:[1]

No. | Picture  | Chief of Army Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Unit of Commission

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Osmani, M. A. G.General
M. A. G. Osmani psc
(1918–1984)| 12 April 1971| 6 April 1972| 1 year, 24 days| Army Service Corps[19]

| Shafiullah, KaziMajor general
Kazi Muhammad Shafiullah Bir Uttom, psc
(1934–2025)| 7 April 1972| 25 August 1975| 3 years, 140 days| East Bengal Regiment

| Rahman, ZiaurMajor general
Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttom, psc
(1936–1981)| 25 August 1975| 3 November 1975| 70 days| East Bengal Regiment

| Mosharraf, KhaledMajor general
Khaled Mosharraf Bir Uttom, psc
(1937–1975)| 3 November 1975| 7 November 1975 †| 4 days| East Bengal Regiment
(3)|

| Rahman, ZiaurLieutenant general
Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttom, psc
(1936–1981)| 7 November 1975| 28 April 1978| 2 years, 172 days| East Bengal Regiment

| Ershad, Hussain MuhammadLieutenant general
Hussain Muhammad Ershad ndc, psc
(1930–2019)| 29 April 1978| 30 August 1986| 8 years, 123 days| East Bengal Regiment

| Rahman, AtiqurLieutenant general
Atiqur Rahman G+
(1931–2023)| 31 August 1986| 30 August 1990| 3 years, 364 days| Regiment of Artillery

| Khan, NuruddinLieutenant general
Nuruddin Khan psc
(born 1940)| 31 August 1990| 30 August 1994| 3 years, 364 days| Corps of Engineers

| Nasim, Abu SalehLieutenant general
Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim Bir Bikrom, psc
(born 1943)| 31 August 1994| 19 May 1996| 1 year, 262 days| East Bengal Regiment

| Rahman, MuhammadLieutenant general
Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman psc| 27 May 1996| 23 December 1997| 1 year, 210 days| Corps of Engineers

| Rahman, MustafizurGeneral
Mustafizur Rahman Bir Bikrom, ndc, psc, C
(1941–2008)| 24 December 1997| 23 December 2000| 2 years, 365 days| Corps of Engineers
10|

| Harun, MLieutenant general
Mohammed Harun-Ar-Rashid Bir Protik, rcds, psc
(1948–2025)| 24 December 2000| 15 June 2002| 1 year, 173 days| East Bengal Regiment
11|

| Chowdhury, HasanLieutenant general
Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury awc, psc
(born 1948)| 16 June 2002| 15 June 2005| 2 years, 364 days| East Bengal Regiment
12|

| Ahmed, MoeenGeneral
Moeen Uddin Ahmed ndc, psc
(born 1953)| 16 June 2005| 15 June 2009| 3 years, 364 days| East Bengal Regiment
13|

| Ahmed, MoeenGeneral
Mohammed Abdul Mubeen ndc, psc
(born 1957)| 16 June 2009| 25 June 2012| 3 years, 9 days| East Bengal Regiment
14|

| Bhuiyan, IqbalGeneral
Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan psc
(born 1957)| 26 June 2012| 25 June 2015| 2 years, 364 days| East Bengal Regiment
15|

| Huq, ShafiulGeneral
Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Haq ndc, psc
(born 1958)| 26 June 2015| 25 June 2018| 2 years, 364 days| Armoured Corps
16|

| Ahmed, AzizGeneral
Aziz Ahmed SBP, BSP, BGBM, PBGM, BGBMS, psc, G
(born 1961)| 25 June 2018| 24 June 2021| 2 years, 364 days| Regiment of Artillery
17|

| Shafiuddin Ahmed, SMGeneral
SM Shafiuddin Ahmed SBP, OSP, ndu, psc, PhD
(born 1963)| 24 June 2021| 23 June 2024| 2 years, 365 days| East Bengal Regiment
18|

| Zaman,Waker-UzGeneral
Waker-Uz-Zaman OSP, SGP, psc
(born 1966)| 23 June 2024| Incumbent| 1 year, 47 days| East Bengal Regiment

## See also

[edit]

* Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh)
* Chief of Naval Staff (Bangladesh)
* Chief of the General Staff (Bangladesh)
* Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)
* List of serving generals of the Bangladesh Army
* Lieutenant General (Bangladesh)
* Military ranks of Bangladesh
* Awards and decorations of the Bangladesh Armed Forces

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "List of Chief of Army Staff". Bangladesh Army. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024.
2. ^ "Major General Moeen U Ahmed new Army Chief". bdnews24.com. 5 June 2005. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
3. ^ "Bangladesh appoints Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan as new Army Chief". Firstpost. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
4. ^ a b "Stripping ex-army chief Mustafizur Rahman of rank illegal: HC". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
5. ^ "Shafiullah: The blunted General". The Business Standard. 15 August 2023.
6. ^ "Chief of Army Staff - Bangladesh Army". Bangladesh Army.
7. ^ "General Waker-Uz-Zaman takes charge as Chief of Army Staff". The Financial Express. 23 June 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
8. ^ "Gen Mubeen takes over army". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 15 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
9. ^ "Bangabandhu Shadhinota Ghoshonar Telegraphic Barta". BDNews24. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
10. ^ সংযোজনস্বাধীনতার ঘোষণা: বেলাল মোহাম্মদের সাক্ষাৎকার. bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
11. ^ "The Sheikh Mujib Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh: U.S. Government Records and Media Documentation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
12. ^ "March 27, 1971: Zia makes radio announcement on independence". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
13. ^ "Timeline". The Daily Star. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
14. ^ "Shafiullah new chairman of sector commanders forum". bdnews24.com. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
15. ^ "Bangladesh Armed Forces elite promoted". Dawn. Agence France-Presse. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
16. ^ Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Mukti Bahini". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
17. ^ "O General, My General". The Daily Star. 1 September 2016.
18. ^ "Bir Uttam Abdur Rab's 46th death anniversary Sunday". The Business Standard. 13 November 2021.
19. ^ a b Indian Army List for July 1941. Government of India Press. 1941. p. 1000.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh) at Wikimedia Commons
* Official website

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