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In a bid to strengthen the Bangladesh Army, the government is going to form 97 more military units under three cantonments within four years. At the same time, an infantry brigade will be set up and modern arms and ammunition will be provided to the 66 infantry battalions. The Minister In-charge of Defence, Anisul Huq, said this in Parliament during its last session. He was replying to a question of the ruling party member, Rahim Ullah (Feni-3 constituency). Anisul Huq, also Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, informed the House that the government is going to form 19 units for the Sylhet Cantonment, 22 for the Ramu Cantonment and 56 units for the Sheikh Hasina Cantonment in Lebukhali.
A Riverine Engineer Battalion is also going to be formed under a proposed cantonment at Mithamoine in Kishorganj.
Already, the authorities have formed 53 new units/headquarters, including two artillery brigades, four infantry brigades and one composite brigade.
Two more infantry divisions were formed recently at Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar to develop and expand the activities of the Bangladesh Army.
To enhance the efficiency and capabilities of the armed forces, the Army authorities have purchased Armoured Personnel Carier (APC), Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), APC Ambulance, a helicopter, Wheel Loader, Armoured Vehicle, Tank, Tank Transporter, Weapon Locating Radar, Machine-Gun Jeep, Self-Propelled Gun (SP Gun), Anti-Tank Guided Weapon (ATGW), Tank destroyer Arms, Sound Ranging Equipment, Multi-Launch Rocket, DAUPHIN helicopter, Fourth Generation Tank MBT-2000, MI 171 Military Helicopter, FM-90 SAM System, Armoured Speedboat and Light Aircraft. These were procured from 2009 till date.
Anisul Huq said there are about 1,62,000 personnel in the Bangladesh Army.
The Armed Forces Division is working to implement the "Forces Goal-2030" to modernise the armed forces.
The Bangladesh Army is planning to conduct its activities under three independent corps --- the Central Corps, Eastern Corps and the Western Corps --- with a view to implementing the "Forces Goal-2030", military sources said.
A senior officer of the rank of Lieutenant General will be the chief (commander) of a corps. He will take decisions independently, barring major ones.
At present, the Bangladesh Army is operating under nine area commands and infantry divisions --- the Savar Area Command and the 9th Infantry Division, the Cox's Bazar Area Command and the 10th Infantry Division in Ramu, the Bogra Area Command and the 11th Infantry Division, the Sylhet Area Command and the 17th Infantry Division, the Ghatail Area Command and the 19th Infantry Division, the Chittagong Area Command and the 24th Infantry Division, the Comilla Area Command and the 33rd Infantry Division, the Jessore Area Command and the 55th Infantry Division, the Rangpur Area Command and the 66th Infantry Division and the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) at the Mymensingh Cantonment. The Army also has independent units under direct command of the Army headquarters.
There are 28 cantonments across the country where Army personnel are working, training and living. They are, the Alikadam Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban Cantonment, the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong, Chittagong Cantonment, Comilla Cantonment, Dhaka Cantonment, Dighinala Cantonment in Rangamati, Halishahar Cantonment in Chittagong, Jahanabad Cantonment in Khulna, Jahangirabad Cantonment in Bogra, Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet, Jessore Cantonment, Kaptai Cantonment in Rangamati, Khagrachari Cantonment in Khagrachari, Kholahati Cantonment in Dinajpur, Majhira Cantonment in Bogra, Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka, Mymensingh Cantonment, Postogola Cantonment in Dhaka, Qadirabad Cantonment in Natore, Rajendrapur Cantonment in Gazipur, Rajshahi Cantonment, Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati Cantonment, Rangpur Cantonment, Saidpur Cantonment in Nilphamari, Savar Cantonment in Dhaka and the Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment in Ghatail.
The Army is the largest of the three wings of Bangladesh's armed forces. Its primary mission is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh’s security and defence strategies, including safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity against external attack.
It may be mentioned that the Indian Army has a regimental system, but is operationally and geographically divided into seven commands, with the basic field formation being a division.
http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/104295
