Less than 18 months after General Waker-uz-Zaman effected across-the-board transfers in the higher echelons of the Bangladesh Army, there is now another move to shift two key lieutenant generals to critical posts that could have a significant bearing on defence dealings with the Pakistan armed forces.
While Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan, the incumbent Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division (AFD), which functions under Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus’ office, will likely be moved to the crucial post of Chief of General Staff, Quarter Master General Lt Gen Faizur Rahman may take over the post to be vacated by the former.
Among the two, as PSO at AFD, Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan has been playing an active role in inviting top Pakistani armed forces officers to Bangladesh, besides issuing orders to send senior Bangladesh Navy and Air Force officers to Pakistan.
The transfers were finalised at a time when a team of US Army intelligence officers was in Dhaka. Two of these, a major and a captain, arrived in Dhaka on January 17 and will leave later today. They are Major Vicente B Samaniego and Captain Brittany J Whitehead. Another team of five US Army officers and other personnel led by Maj Troy David Anthony Bagnall reached Dhaka on January 18 to take part in the initial planning conference for the Tiger Lightning Exercise-2026 with the Bangladesh Army.
A third senior officer, ARTDOC (Army Training and Doctrine Command) General Officer Commanding Lt Gen Mainur Rahman may be moved to take charge as QMG.
It is learnt that at least four other General Officers Commanding (GOCs) will also be transferred as a consequence of the return to home posting of a brigadier (who will be promoted as a major general) from United Nations-related service. The 24th Infantry Division GOC Major General Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam, sources said, may now be promoted as a lieutenant general.
There are some unconfirmed reports within Dhaka Cantonment that DGFI Director General Jahangir Alam may be shifted to replace Lt Gen Mainur Rahman.
Even as the Bangladesh Army top brass is in the process of finalising these key transfers, with slightly over three weeks left before general elections (slated to be held on February 12, 2026), Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan’s move as the next CGS head will pave the way for speedier acquisition of military hardware.
The post of CGS was previously held by Gen Waker-uz-Zaman. He assumed responsibility as CGS on January 1, 2024, six months before the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promoted him as the Army chief in the rank of a full general. Gen Zaman’s tenure as Army chief is till June 2027.
While some Bangladesh defence sources said that the transfers of Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan, Lt Gen Faizur Rahman and Let Gen Mainur Rahman was necessitated as National Defence College Commandant Lt Gen Mohammad Shaheenul Haque, the seniormost officer after Gen Zaman, will go into PRL or Paid Retirement Leave for a year before he finally retires. Lt Gen Haque held charge at NDC since August 2024.
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Suffice it to say that incumbent CGS Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shamim will also go into PRL a few months ahead of schedule. He will be replaced by Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan.
