Aziz Ahmed (general)

Aziz Ahmed
আজিজ আহমেদ
Chief of Army Staff
Assumed office
26 June 2018
President Abdul Hamid
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Preceded by Shafiul Huq
Personal details
Born (1961-01-01) 1 January 1961
Narayanganj, East Pakistan, Pakistan
Military service
Allegiance  Bangladesh
Service/branch  Bangladesh Army
Years of service 1981–present
Rank General
Unit Corps of Artillery
Commands
  • Quartermaster General of the army
  • GOC of ARTDOC
  • DG of BGB
  • GOC of 33 Infantry Division

Commander 33 Artillery Brigade &

  • Commander 6 Independent Air Defense Artillery Brigade
Sector Commander Bangladesh Rifles
Battles/wars

Aziz Ahmed (born 1 January 1961) is a General in the Bangladesh Army .[1] He is currently serving as the Chief of Army Staff (CAS) of the Bangladesh Army[2], before present appointment he served as Quarter Master General (QMG) of Bangladesh Army at Army Headquarters QMG's Branch Coord. before this he was GOC of Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) of the Bangladesh Army.[3] He was previously Director General of Border Guards Bangladesh.[4] Before that he served as the GOC of 33 Infantry Division and Area Commander of Comilla Area stationed at Comilla cantonment.[5] He commanded 6 Independent Air Defence Artillery Brigade and 33 Artillery Brigade. He also served as the Founder Chairman of Shimanto Bank, which is a commercial bank and a sister concern of BGB Welfare Trust.[6][7]He has been honoured as the Colonel of the Regiment of The Regiment of Artillery and Colonel of the Regiment of The East Bengal Regiment.

Early life and education

Ahmed was born on 1 January 1961 at Narayangonj. He comes from Chandpur District a city of Bangladesh. His father was Abdul Wadud and his mother is Renuja Begum. He completed his SSC from Mohammadpur Government High School in 1977, went to Notre Dame College, Diploma in Textile Technology from College of Textile Technology in 1980 and earned his graduation in BA (pass) under Chittagong University in 1983. He is a graduate of Defense Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur. He completed his Masters in Defense Studies and MSc (Technical) from National University and also did Masters in Business Administration (Executive) from American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). The General is now pursuing PhD from Bangladesh University of Proffesionals (BUP).

As DG Border Guard Bangladesh, Ahmed was the first overseas "Chief Guest" in the history of BSF (Border Security Forces, India) to review a passing out Parade at BSF Academy, Tekanpur, India. Aziz attended a number of professional courses, seminars and symposiums at home and abroad. Worth mentioning few are Officers' Gunnery Staff Course from Artillery Center & School, Chittagong and Long Gunnery Staff Course from School of Artillery, Deolali, India. He attended Pacific Army Senior Officers Logistic Seminer (PASOLS) in Fiji, Pacific Area Special Special Operations Conference (PASOC) in Florida & Hawaii, International Border Police Conference in Poland, Border Police Conference in Hungary, World Borderpol Congress in Netherlands. He led 08 bilateral DG Level BGB-BSF conferences. He also attended a Conference on Technical Cooperation & Capacity building for Border Management in Thailand.

Family background and controversy

Ahmed had 5 brothers including younger brother Tofail Ahmed Joseph, a convicted criminal.[8] After the general elections in 2001, the BNP-led government announced a list of the country's 23 most wanted criminals where Joseph was included;[9] a Dhaka court sentenced him to death in 2004 for his role in the murder of Freedom Party leader Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa in 1996. In 2017, media reported that Joseph had spent 20 months in hospital, allegedly without any medical reason, and in privileged conditions.[10] He was transported back to the jail from hospital when the issue was raised.[9] He was given a presidential pardon on 30 May 2018, in order to undergo medical treatment in India.[8]

Two other brothers, Harris (or Haris) and Anis Ahmed, were also named as accomplices in the murder of Mostafa, and a fourth sibling, Sayeed Ahmed Tipu, was shot dead by assailants in the 1990s.[9] [10]

When Aziz Ahmed had become the new Army chief of Bangladesh, BTRC temporarily blocked the online portal Bdnews24.com citing "objectionable comments" about Ahmed. The portal was only allowed to re-open after the unspecified "objectional" content had been removed.[11]

Career

Army

Ahmed was commissioned in the Corps of Artillery on 10 June 1983 with 8th BMA Long Course. He passed out as 19/87 cadets. Within his colourful military career, he held a number of important staff appointments. He had been a GSO-3 (Operation) in CHT, Brigade major in an infantry brigade, GSO-II in AHQ Military Training Directorate and GSO-I of AHQ Pay Pension & Allowance Directorate.

Ahmed has a vast experience as commander where he commanded one Artillery Regiment, one BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) Battalion, one BDR Sector, two Arillery brigades including an Independent Air Defense Artillery Brigade. The General also served as instructor for more than 07 years in Artillery Center & School and School of Military Intelligence.

As a Major General, Ahmed commanded 33 Infantry Division in Comilla. Later he was appointed as DG of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on 05 December 2012 and continued till 16 November 2016. [5] On 16 November 2016 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and appointed as GOC of ARTDOC.[3][12]Later on 9 January 2018 he was appointed as Quarter Master General (QMG) of Bangladesh Army at Army Headquarters. On 18 June 2018 he was appointed as Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army and promoted to the rank of General. On 25 June 2018 he took over the charge of Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army.

Ahmed is currently acting as the Chairman, Board of Directors of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory limited, Bangladesh Diesel Plant limited & Trust Bank Limited. He is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Sena Kalyan Sangsta and President of Bangladesh Golf Federation, Bangladesh Olympic Association and Kurmitala Golf Club .

Border Guards Bangladesh

Even before joining BGB as its director general, Ahmed served few stints in BGB. He commanded one battalion, served as sector commander.

Ahmed took over the charge of Border Guard Bangladesh on 5 December 2012 and continued till 15 November 2016. Under his command BGB raised four regional headquarters, 15 battalions and established 108 new border outposts covering 310 KM unguarded border with India & Myanmar along the border in Chittagong Hill Tracts area, two floating outposts in the Sundarbans. About 1600 Motorcycles have been inducted to BGB members at the outposts for patrolling. He under took many welfare projects for the welfare of BGB soldiers. Worth mentioning is the " Shimanto Bank" a commercial bank. Three modern 50 bedded new Hospitals were constructed & made functional. During his command border killing came down significantly.

During his tenure a total of 18,000 new soldiers have been recruited in the force, including 100 female recruits for the first time in BGB.[13]

UN Mission

Ahmed was an observer for the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) and a military adviser to the force commander of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).[5]

Personal life

Ahmed is married and have 3 sons.

References

  1. ↑ "Gen Aziz Ahmed new chief of Bangladesh Army". The Daily Star. 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  2. ↑ "লে. জেনারেল আজিজ কোয়ার্টারমাস্টার জেনারেল হলেন". samakal.com. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 Sun, The Daily. "Ex-BGB DG Aziz Ahmed promoted to Lt Gen | daily sun". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  4. ↑ "Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)". daily-sun.com. The Daily Sun. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed new BGB director general". The Daily Star. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "PM opens 'Shimanto Bank' for BGB members". Dhaka Tribune. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "PM inaugurates Shimanto Bank". en.prothom-alo.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 "General Aziz Ahmed named new Army Chief of Bangladesh". India Today. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "President pardons top terror Joseph". The Daily Star. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Top criminal Joseph freed from jail on presidential mercy". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "BTRC reopened bdnews24 website". Benarnews.
  12. ↑ "Maj Gen Abul Hossain appointed Border Guard Bangladesh chief". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Outgoing BGB chief unhappy with border killing, Felani trial". Dhaka Tribune. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
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