Bangladesh’s New Prime Minister Oversees Military Shakeup
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – Days after Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Bangladeshi government has initiated a reshuffling of top positions within the Bangladesh Army, according to reports from Bangladeshi media outlets. The changes, announced Sunday, involve key strategic commands and the country’s military intelligence agency.
Lieutenant General M. Mainur Rahman has been appointed as the new Chief of General Staff (CGS), having previously served as the chief of Army Training and Doctrine Command. Brigadier General Md. Hafizur Rahman, formerly the defence advisor at the Bangladesh High Commission in India, has been recalled and will assume the role of General Officer Commanding of an infantry division with the promoted rank of Major General.
Further changes include the replacement of Principal Staff Officer Lieutenant General S. M. Kamrul Hasan by Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiqur Rahman. Hasan will be assigned to the Foreign Ministry as an ambassador. Major General Kaiser Rashid Chowdhury has been named the new Director General of Forces Intelligence, pending his promotion.
The reshuffle comes following the BNP’s landslide victory in the February 12 elections, securing a two-thirds majority. Rahman, 60, took office on February 17, succeeding the 18-month interim administration led by Muhummad Yunus.
The timing of these military appointments suggests a swift move by the new administration to consolidate its control and potentially reshape the country’s security landscape. The changes are being closely watched both domestically and internationally as Bangladesh navigates a new political era.
