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A few days after Tariq Rahman became the Prime Minister, a large-scale reshuffle has been made in the Bangladeshi Army. In the orders issued on Sunday, new appointments were made to operational and intelligence posts, while the Defense Advisor in India has also been given new responsibilities.
Bangladesh’s Defense Advisor to India, Brigadier General MD Hafizur Rahman has been promoted to the rank of Major General. He has been recalled and appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55th Infantry Division.
Lieutenant General Muhammad Mainur Rahman has been made the Chief of General Staff (CGS) of the Army. He was earlier the chief of the Army Training and Doctrine Command. He has replaced Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim, who was sent on retirement leave.
Prime Minister Tariq Rehman assumed charge at the Armed Forces Division on Monday.
Changes in Armed Forces divisions and field commands
major General Qaiser Rashid Chaudhary has been appointed director of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). He was working as Brigadier General in the Army Headquarters. He replaces Major General Mohammad Jahangir Alam, who is currently appointed as Ambassador in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rehman has been made the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division. He was earlier the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 24th Infantry Division based in Chittagong. Current PSO Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan has been transferred to the post of Ambassador in the Ministry of External Affairs.
major General JM Amdadul Islam has been appointed Commandant of East Bengal Regimental Centre. Major General Firdos Hasan Salim has been made the GOC of the 24th Infantry Division.
Why was there a reshuffle in Bangladesh Army?
This major reshuffle is being considered as the first major step for the new BNP government of Tariq Rehman to establish a strong hold on the army.
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government due to student movement in February 2024, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus was formed, which deployed officers close to him or associated with the old regime on many top posts of the army.
Now, after the massive victory of BNP in the elections of 12 February 2026, Tariq Rehman became the Prime Minister on 17 February, then the new government quickly made changes in these posts.
The main reason behind this is believed to be that by removing the old officers (who were associated with the Yunus government or Hasina period), they are giving important command and intelligence posts to officers close to BNP or loyal to the new government, so that the army does not create any imbalance against the new government and the army can be strengthened.
Prime Minister and Army Chief presenting the badge of Lieutenant General to the new Chief Staff Officer Mir Mushfiqur Rehman.
What is the benefit of this change?
- The stability of the new government will be strong- Tariq Rehman’s government will get full support of the army with the arrival of new faces in the Chief of General Staff, Intelligence Department and other key posts of the army. This will reduce the risk of any rebellion or instability, especially given the recent political turmoil in the country.
- The effects of the old system will be reduced- Officials loyal to the Yunus government or Hasina era are being removed or sent to posts like ambassadors, which will reduce the power of anti-BNP elements.
- Impact on relations with India- Defense Advisor Brigadier General Hafizur Rahman, posted in India (considered pro-India in some reports), has been recalled and promoted to division command. This will change Bangladesh’s military representative in Delhi, which may bring a new balance in India-Bangladesh relations.
- The focus of the army will change- With the arrival of new chiefs, the army will focus more on core defense roles (national security), while political interference or internal monitoring may be less. This will help the government to focus on economic reforms, law and order and public expectations.
Overall, this reshuffle is part of the ‘power consolidation’ of the new government. That means consolidating power and eliminating the risks associated with the old system. Experts believe that this will provide more stability to Tariq Rehman’s government in the next few months.
Tariq Rehman accused of election irregularities
Tariq Rehman making victory symbol after winning the elections.
Amid the reshuffle in the army, opposition parties in Bangladesh have accused Prime Minister Tariq Rahman of election irregularities. He says that Tariq Rehman is an engineer who manipulates the election results.
The opposition alleges that ‘engineering’ i.e. manipulation was done in the elections and due to this BNP got more than 200 seats. After almost 20 years, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) achieved a big victory in the general elections in Bangladesh.
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance of 11 parties and its ally National Citizen Party (NCP) have alleged that large-scale irregularities took place in many seats.
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