Last Updated on February 23, 2026 8:25 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
In a sweeping reshuffle of Bangladesh’s military leadership days after BNP chief Tarique Rahman assumed office as Prime Minister, several top-level appointments have been announced, affecting key strategic commands as well as the country’s premier military intelligence agency.
The changes were issued by Army Headquarters on Sunday and come within a week of Rahman taking oath on February 17, following the BNP’s two-thirds majority victory in the February 12 parliamentary elections that ended the 18-month interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
Lieutenant General M Mainur Rahman has been appointed as the new Chief of General Staff (CGS). He previously served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC). He succeeds Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shamim, who recently retired.
In another key appointment, Major General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman, formerly GOC of the 24th Infantry Division in Chattogram, has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed Principal Staff Officer (PSO) at the Armed Forces Division. The rank badge was formally conferred by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in a ceremony attended by Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan.
The outgoing PSO, Lt Gen SM Kamrul Hasan, has been attached to the foreign ministry and is set to be appointed as an ambassador abroad.
The intelligence wing also witnessed significant changes. Brigadier General Mohammad Kaisar Rashid Chowdhury has been promoted to Major General and appointed Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Bangladesh’s premier military intelligence agency. The former DGFI chief, Major General Mohammad Jahangir Alam, has been transferred to the foreign ministry.
In a move with diplomatic implications, Brigadier General Md Hafizur Rahman, who was serving as Defence Adviser at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, has been recalled. He has been promoted to Major General and appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55th Infantry Division in Jashore.
Further divisional changes include the transfer of Major General JM Emdadul Islam, previously GOC of the 55th Infantry Division, to serve as Commandant of the East Bengal Regimental Centre. Major General Ferdous Hasan, the outgoing commandant, has been appointed GOC of the 24th Infantry Division.
The reshuffle is being viewed as one of the most significant reorganisations of Bangladesh’s military top brass in recent years, coming at a politically sensitive time following a change in government.