World Armies - Bangladesh

[Contrarian]

Fatman, could you please find if officers of the BDA train at Indian establishments or are there any proposals for the same?

 

[fatman17]

Fatman, could you please find if officers of the BDA train at Indian establishments or are there any proposals for the same?

according to the article BDA officers are not sent to India or Pakistan for training, however Indian and Pak officers do attend courses in BD Mil Schools.

 

[Kasrkin]

The expert on this is Leonblack but he is on vacation I think. The BD army certainly needs improvement.

But does BD really want to take on India? BD is a poor country no doubt, with a lot of political problems that involve the army. So does this culture of defiance that has defined Pakistan's military policy really apply here? The officer corps is dangerously fragmented like Janes says, but are those differences only political or do they relate to the prospect of confronting India too? Anyway looks like India is in a position to exert a lot of military pressure here, but maybe we don't feel it because the Indians don't really consider BD much of a threat or perhaps because the Bengladeshis are too complacent to see the danger...

 

[fatman17]

But does BD really want to take on India? BD is a poor country no doubt, with a lot of political problems that involve the army. So does this culture of defiance that has defined Pakistan's military policy really apply here? The officer corps is dangerously fragmented like Janes says, but are those differences only political or do they relate to the prospect of confronting India too? Anyway looks like India is in a position to exert a lot of military pressure here, but maybe we don't feel it because the Indians don't really consider BD much of a threat or perhaps because the Bengladeshis are too complacent to see the danger...

this is a interesting point which I hope our BD forum members would comment on!

 

[fatman17]

NEXT UPDATE ON BDA WILL BE ON 19TH APRIL - THX FOR UNDERSTANDING!

 

[Raquib]

according to the article BDA officers are not sent to India or Pakistan for training, however Indian and Pak officers do attend courses in BD Mil Schools.

I agree sir... Bangladesh Army officers are rather sent to esp. the western countries for training...

 

[Raquib]

Recent procurement of the Bangladesh army:

Otokar Cobra humvee(Turkey)

 

[gromell]

But does BD really want to take on India? BD is a poor country no doubt, with a lot of political problems that involve the army. So does this culture of defiance that has defined Pakistan's military policy really apply here? The officer corps is dangerously fragmented like Janes says, but are those differences only political or do they relate to the prospect of confronting India too? Anyway looks like India is in a position to exert a lot of military pressure here, but maybe we don't feel it because the Indians don't really consider BD much of a threat or perhaps because the Bengladeshis are too complacent to see the danger...

I really doubt Bangladesh wants to take on India. We do not have any Kashmir first of all. The only issues are illegal cross border raids by drunk BSF troops which are dealt with by BDR, few small village disputes on the border, dam embankments on major rivers on Indian side(violating international laws) that flow through Bangladesh and unfair trade disparity. Use of force is not going to solve any of those problems. The public sentiment is not against India, except provocative BSF activites create some problems in the relation.

The condition of the officer corps is not as bad as it is portrayed here. One thing you have to remember Bangladesh army hardly gets the financial help that Pakistan army gets from USA. However, officers regularly go to US military schools for training. Its doctrine is based on defensive role. There are special forces within the army. I think Bangladesh navy has SEALs who train with South Korean's. It has commando units within the army's infantry I think. Indian army and Bangladesh army hold joint exercises, specially when Awami League is in power. What danger you are talking about?

And you said "BD is a poor country"... East Pakistan's GDP was higher than West Pakistan's in 1970. well Bangladesh formed in 1971 with most of its state capital held in Pakistan's national bank in Karachi, which never came back. Jute price fell in the 70's. Bangladesh do not get as much donation as Pakistan gets from USA, Saudi, China and other allies. Bangladesh is having an acceleration in its economy even in this recession. Pakistan's economy is probably in the worst shape out of all SAARC countries right now, in terms of economic growth. Throughout 1947 to 1971, most of the money Bangladesh created were used for the industrialization in the West Pakistan. It literally had to begin from scratch since 1971 with 70 million hungry mouth to feed, destroyed communication infrastructure, 3 million killed, 2-4 hundred thousand raped and 5 years of isolation from Arab leaue, Saudi, USA and China.

 

[gromell]

NEXT UPDATE ON BDA WILL BE ON 19TH APRIL - THX FOR UNDERSTANDING!

It's 19th April... I am waiting

 

[gromell]

Fatman, could you please find if officers of the BDA train at Indian establishments or are there any proposals for the same?

Little bit old news...

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bangladesh and Indian military begin Assam exercise

A two-week small-scale counter terrorism exercise involving Bangladesh and Indian military starts tomorrow at Jorhat, a strategically located district of Assam in the North Eastern part of India. The Indian army and the security forces have been fighting the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres in the state.

This marks the first joint military counter terrorism exercise between the two countries. The exercise will comprise of airborne operations where five officers and 15 other personnel from Bangladesh will train with the special para-commandos of the Indian Army.

This month Bangladesh also participated in Cobra Gold multinational military exercises involving 18 nations held in Bangkok. Cobra Gold 2009 marked the 28th year of a regularly-scheduled joint and combined multilateral military exercise which has become the most visible and largest military cooperative effort in the Pacific region. The exercise prepared the respective militaries for the real-world priorities of peace support, stability and reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and combat operations.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s security officials have also participated in the second Asia-Pacific Intelligence Chiefs Conference from Feb. 18-20 in Singapore. This year’s theme was "Sharing Expertise in Managing Transnational Security Issues” and the participants learnt various aspects of counter terrorism, maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

 

[fatman17]

Army Procurement
Military procurement for the army is probably centered around the creation of at least two armoured/mechanised brigades, but this will be a lengthy process. If it goes ahead, and is almost certain to be done on a gradual basis. There are plans to fleash out the infantry divisions, most of which have only two infantry brigades. This too will be a slow process, not only for financial reasons, but also because recruitment and training, especially of commissioned officers, cannot keep pace with normal replacement requirements and concurrent expansion.

Modernisation
The gift of a battery of multiple rocket launchers (MRL) and the offer of a regiment of T-69 light tanks from Pakistan have had no impact on force modernisation. The MRL battery was split up with launchers being distributed to individual infantry divisions, violating the principles of employment of artillery and effectively negating their entire potential. The offer of T-69 tanks was not taken up, possibly the platforms were obsolete and maintenance costs would have been disproportionate to their worth.

The division of the infantry's East Bengal regiment to allow the creation of the new Bangladesh Infantry Regiment did not lead to any major procurement, although the army did obtain ex-Soviet wheeled infantry combat vehicles capable of carrying a battalion (minus) in 2001 as part of UN requirements for prospective peacekeeping missions.

The weakness of the procurement system were highlighted, with reports emerging in July 2002 that an infantry division had found the ammunition that it had received from a purchase worth USD2.6 million was unusable.

In early 2003, former Prime Minister Zia led a delegation to China which negotiated several military assistance agreements. Although details have not been released, Beijing is believed to have agreed to upgrade several types of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles in the Bangladeshi inventory. The former chief of army staff, Gen. Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, visited China in September 2004, and his successor, Moeen Ahmad, in May 2006, but neither visit appeared to be intended to further procurement matters.

 

[Raquib]

Little bit old news...

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bangladesh and Indian military begin Assam exercise

A two-week small-scale counter terrorism exercise involving Bangladesh and Indian military starts tomorrow at Jorhat, a strategically located district of Assam in the North Eastern part of India. The Indian army and the security forces have been fighting the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres in the state.

This marks the first joint military counter terrorism exercise between the two countries. The exercise will comprise of airborne operations where five officers and 15 other personnel from Bangladesh will train with the special para-commandos of the Indian Army.

This month Bangladesh also participated in Cobra Gold multinational military exercises involving 18 nations held in Bangkok. Cobra Gold 2009 marked the 28th year of a regularly-scheduled joint and combined multilateral military exercise which has become the most visible and largest military cooperative effort in the Pacific region. The exercise prepared the respective militaries for the real-world priorities of peace support, stability and reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and combat operations.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s security officials have also participated in the second Asia-Pacific Intelligence Chiefs Conference from Feb. 18-20 in Singapore. This year’s theme was "Sharing Expertise in Managing Transnational Security Issues” and the participants learnt various aspects of counter terrorism, maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

I heard it was canceled after the BDR mutiny...

 

[Contrarian]

But does BD really want to take on India? BD is a poor country no doubt, with a lot of political problems that involve the army. So does this culture of defiance that has defined Pakistan's military policy really apply here? The officer corps is dangerously fragmented like Janes says, but are those differences only political or do they relate to the prospect of confronting India too? Anyway looks like India is in a position to exert a lot of military pressure here, but maybe we don't feel it because the Indians don't really consider BD much of a threat or perhaps because the Bengladeshis are too complacent to see the danger...

If AL remains in power, we would enjoy very good relations with BD

But i am really interested as well to see Bangladeshi's answer your questions!

 

[fatman17]

Equipment In Service
Armour
Type..........Manufacturer.....Role..........Original Total
T-55/59.....n/a...................MBT..........100
Type 69.....n/a....................MBT..........80
Type 62.....n/a....................Light Tank.40
BTR 70......n/a....................APC..........55
BTR 80......n/a....................APC..........130
YW-531.....China................APC...........50
RN-94........Turkey/Romania.. APC.......9
MT-LB.........Russia...............APC.........20
Al-Fahd.......Egypt................IFV..........55

Artillery
Type.................Manufacturer.....Role..........Original Total
105mm Model 56P.n/a...................Howitzer....30
105mm M101........n/a...................Howitzer....40
122mm Type 54.....n/a..................Howitzer.....20
130mm Type 59.....n/a..................Medium Gun.35
122mm Type 83.....n/a..................MRL.............6

Anti-Tank Weapons
Type.................Manufacturer.....Role................Original Total
106 mm RCL M40..n/a....................Recoilless Gun..25
57mm 6 Pounder...n/a....................Anti-Tank Gun..12
76mm Type 54......n/a....................Anti-Tank Gun..50
82mm Type 53......n/a....................Mortar.............300
120mm Type 53....n/a....................Mortar.............50

Infantry Weapons
Type..............................Role
9mm FN 35........................Pistol
9mm Sterling L2.................Sub-Machine Gun
12.7mm DShK....................Heavy Machine Gun
7.62mm RPD......................Machine Gun
7.62 HK11A1/21A1............Light Machine Gun
7.62mm Bren L4................Light Machine Gun
7.62mm FN-FAL.................Assault Rifle
7.62mm G3A2/3................Assault Rifle
7.62mm Type 56................Assault Rifle
7.62 mm Type 81...............Assault Rifle
7.62 mm Simonov SKS.......assault Rifle

Air Defence Weapons
Type.................Manufacturer.....Role................Original Total
HN5/HN5A.............n/a....................SAM...............12
QW2......................n/a....................SAM................n/a
37mm....................n/a...................Anti-Aircraft Gun..16
57mm Type 59.......n/a...................Ant-Aircraft Gun..12
20mm HS804.........n/a...................Light AA Gun......15

Army Aviation
Type.................Role...................Original Total
206L Long Ranger..Helicopter/Utility.3
152.......................Trainer...............4


Jane's World Armies - Issue 24.
.......................................................................................................................

 

[fatman17]

It's 19th April... I am waiting

enjoy!