Military policy is formulated and executed by the Armed Forces Division (AFD) whereas the Ministry of Defence (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.[6][7]
With the partitioning of India on August 15, 1947, the territory constituting modern Bangladesh was partitioned from the province of BengalasEast Bengal, 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 Pakistani military too. Officers of Bengali origin in the different wings of the armed forces made up just 5% of overall force by 1965.[11] West Pakistanis believed that Bengalis were not "martially inclined" unlike Pashtuns and Punjabis; the "Martial Races" notion was dismissed as ridiculous and humiliating by Bengalis.[11] 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 also highlighted the sense of military insecurity among Bengalis as only an under-strength infantry division and 15 combat aircraft without tank support were in East Pakistan to repel any Indian retaliations during the conflict.[12][13]
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.[14][15]
Following the victory of the Awami League in the 1970 elections, then-president General Yahya Khan refused to appoint its leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the prime minister and launched a brutal attack named Operation Searchlight on the civilians of the then East Pakistan, using the Pakistan Army to repress political movements.[16] The number of people killed by Pakistani forces vary from a minimum of around 300,000 to a maximum of around 3 million.[17][18] 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 the Pakistan Army and East Pakistan Rifles mutinied against their West Pakistani counterparts and joined the Mukti Bahini.[19][20][21] On 17 April 1971, M. A. G 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 started its journey composed of the revolting Bengali members of the Pakistan Army and EPR.[22] 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 Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force.
The Bangladesh Forces received modest assistance from the Indian Government soon after the start of the war.[23] On 3 December 1971, the India-Pakistan war broke out and Indian troops entered Bangladesh allied with the Bangladesh Armed Forces.[24] On 16 December 1971, the Pakistani military surrendered to the joint Indian and Bangladesh forces.[25]
The newly formed Bangladeshi armed forces incorporated some of the units and guerrillas of the Mukti Bahini.[26] Gen. Osmani, who had led the Mukti Bahini was appointed the General of the Bangladesh armed forces.[27] 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.[26][28] A group of angered officers assassinated the president Sheikh Mujib on 15 August 1975 and established a regime with politician Khondaker Mostaq AhmedasPresident of Bangladesh and new army chief Maj. Gen. Ziaur Rahman.[28] 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).[29] Under the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, the military was reorganised to remove conflicts between rival factions and discontented cadre.[30] However, Ziaur Rahman was himself overthrown in a 1981 coup attempt,[31] 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.[30]
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.
Forces Goal 2030 was launched by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to secure new equipment for the Bangladeshi military.
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 operations on the border.
Bangladesh has consistently made large contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations. As of May 2007, Bangladesh had major deployments in Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Lebanon, Sudan, Timor-Leste and Côte d'Ivoire.[38] With 10,736 troops deployed, it ranks first in personnel contributions to UN peacekeeping.[39] 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 3,200 who are participating in peacekeeping, charitable activities and infrastructure development.
Bangladesh has made a long term modernisation plan for its Armed Forces named Forces Goal 2030.[49] The plan includes the modernization and expansion of all equipment and infrastructures and providing enhanced training.[49]
^"সশস্ত্রবাহিনীর মোট সদস্য সংখ্যা দুই লাখ চার হাজার ৫৯৬ জন" [The total number of members of the armed forces is 2 lakh 4 thousand 596 people]. বাংলাদেশ প্রতিদিন (in Bengali). 8 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2024. আইনমন্ত্রী আনিসুল হক বলেছেন, সশস্ত্র বাহিনীর মোট সদস্য সংখ্যা বর্তমানে দুই লাখ চার হাজার ৫৯৬ জন। এর মধ্যে ১ লাখ ৬২ হাজার ১২৫ জন সেনাবাহিনী। ২৫ হাজার ৮১ জন নৌবাহিনীর এবং ১৭ হাজার ৩৯০ জন বিমান বাহিনীর সদস্য। [Law Minister Anisul Haque said that the total number of members of the armed forces is currently two lakh four thousand 596. Among them 1 lakh 62 thousand 125 soldiers. 25 thousand 81 members of Navy and 17 thousand 390 members of Air Force.]
^ abHeitzman, James; Worden, Robert, eds. (1989). "Pakistan Era". Bangladesh: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 207. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^Heitzman, James; Worden, Robert, eds. (1989). "Zia's regime". Bangladesh: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 37–40. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^ abHeitzman, James; Worden, Robert, eds. (1989). "Postindependence Period". Bangladesh: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 211. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^ abHeitzman, James; Worden, Robert, eds. (1989). "Mujib coup". Bangladesh: A Country Study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 32–36. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
^Islam, Syed Serajul (May 1984). "The State in Bangladesh under Zia (1975–81)". Asian Survey. 24 (5). University of California Press: 556–573. doi:10.2307/2644413. JSTOR2644413.
Bir Sreshtho-(Bengali: বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ; literally, "The Most Valiant Hero"), the highest gallantry award
Bir Uttom- (Bengali: বীর উত্তম; literally, "Better among Braves"), the second highest gallantry award
Bir Bikrom- (Bengali: বীর বিক্রম; literally, "Valiant hero"), the third highest gallantry award
Bir Protik- (Bengali: বীর প্রতীক; literally, "Symbol of Bravery or Idol of Courage"), the fourth highest gallantry award
Order of Military Merit
Jestha Padak I (10 years service)
Jestha Padak II (20 years service)
Jestha Padak III (30 years service)
Bangladesh Army[41]
Bangladesh Navy[42]
Bangladesh Air Force[43]
