Army riverine, commando brigades on cards

For the first time, the Bangladesh Army is going to set up a riverine brigade at Mithamain in Kishoreganj district as part of the "Forces Goal 2030". A Special Force (commando) brigade will also come into existence for overall security of the country. The process of forming the riverine brigade has already started, sources in the Army headquarters said. It will be set up at Mithamain as per the wishes of President Md Abdul Hamid, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. According to the sources, the proposed brigade will perform exercises on the rivers, besides securing movement of troops and supplies along rivers.
A Detailed Project Proposal (DPP) of forming the new brigade has been prepared by the authorities concerned. In the first phase, a riverine battalion will be formed at Mithamain and then it would be transformed into a brigade. Its  main task will be to secure the river routes and deny the enemy access to them whenever necessary, the sources said.  Infrastructure like steel listing craft (SLC), vessels, high-speed boats and required arms and ammunition would be procured for the proposed riverine brigade, according to the sources.
There are four riverine battalions in the country. One riverine battalion is at Kaptai in Rangamati, one at Bangabandhu Bridge over the Jamuna river and two on the Buriganga river at Pustagola, Dhaka.
 There is only one battalion of the Special Force (commando) in Sylhet and a complete Special Force brigade would be formed soon.
 Lt Col Mohammed Rashidul Hasan told The Independent that the proposed riverine brigade and Special Force (commando) brigade would be formed under the “Forces Goal 2030” prepared by the government. “The two new brigades will help strengthen defence capabilities,” he said.
On November 21, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of defence, in a speech, said they have made changes in the organisational structure of the Bangladesh Army. A composite brigade has already been formed to ensure security and oversee construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.
“We’ve started the process of forming a riverine brigade at Mithamain. A new division will be established at Lebukhali, the country’s south-eastern area. We’re considering forming a special force brigade,” she said.
The Bangladesh Army is planning to conduct its activities under three independent corps—the Central Corps, Eastern Corps and the Western Corps—with a view to implementing the “Forces Goal-2030”, military sources said.
At present, the Bangladesh Army is operating under nine area commands and infantry divisions—the Savar Area Command and the 9th Infantry Division, the Cox’s Bazar Area Command and the 10th Infantry Division at Ramu, the  Bogra Area Command and the 11th Infantry Division, the Sylhet Area Command and the 17th Infantry Division, the Ghatail Area Command and the 19th Infantry Division, the Chittagong Area Command and the 24th Infantry Division, the Comilla Area Command and the 33rd Infantry Division, the Jessore Area Command and the 55th Infantry Division, the Rangpur Area Command and the 66th Infantry Division and the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) at the Mymensingh Cantonment.
The Army also has independent units under direct command of the Army headquarters. There are 28 cantonments across the country where Army personnel are working, training and living. They are the Alikadam Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban Cantonment, the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong,  Chittagong Cantonment, Comilla Cantonment, Dhaka Cantonment, Dighinala Cantonment in Rangamati, Halishahar Cantonment in Chittagong, Jahanabad Cantonment in Khulna, Jahangirabad Cantonment in Bogra, Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet, Jessore Cantonment, Kaptai Cantonment in Rangamati, Khagrachari Cantonment in Khagrachari, Kholahati Cantonment in Dinajpur, Majhira Cantonment in Bogra, Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka,  Mymensingh Cantonment, Postogola Cantonment in Dhaka, Qadirabad Cantonment in Natore, Rajendrapur Cantonment in Gazipur, Rajshahi Cantonment, Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati Cantonment, Rangpur Cantonment, Saidpur Cantonment in Nilphamari, Savar Cantonment in Dhaka and the Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment in Ghatail.

Army riverine, commando brigades on cards

For the first time, the Bangladesh Army is going to set up a riverine brigade at Mithamain in Kishoreganj district as part of the Forces Goal 2030. A Special Force (commando) brigade will also come into existence for overall security of the country. The process of forming the riverine brigade has already started, sources in the Army headquarters said. It will be set up at Mithamain as per the wishes of President Md Abdul Hamid, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. According to the sources, the proposed brigade will perform exercises on the rivers, besides securing movement of troops and supplies along rivers. A Detailed Project Proposal (DPP) of forming the new brigade has been prepared by the authorities concerned. In the first phase, a riverine battalion will be formed at Mithamain and then it would be transformed into a brigade. Its main task will be to secure the river routes and deny the enemy access to them whenever necessary, the sources said. Infrastructure like steel listing craft (SLC), vessels, high-speed boats and required arms and ammunition would be procured for the proposed riverine brigade, according to the sources. There are four riverine battalions in the country. One riverine battalion is at Kaptai in Rangamati, one at Bangabandhu Bridge over the Jamuna river and two on the Buriganga river at Pustagola, Dhaka. There is only one battalion of the Special Force (commando) in Sylhet and a complete Special Force brigade would be formed soon. Lt Col Mohammed Rashidul Hasan told The Independent that the proposed riverine brigade and Special Force (commando) brigade would be formed under the Forces Goal 2030 prepared by the government. The two new brigades will help strengthen defence capabilities, he said. On November 21, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also in charge of defence, in a speech, said they have made changes in the organisational structure of the Bangladesh Army. A composite brigade has already been formed to ensure security and oversee construction of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. Weve started the process of forming a riverine brigade at Mithamain. A new division will be established at Lebukhali, the countrys south-eastern area. Were considering forming a special force brigade, she said. The Bangladesh Army is planning to conduct its activities under three independent corpsthe Central Corps, Eastern Corps and the Western Corpswith a view to implementing the Forces Goal-2030, military sources said. At present, the Bangladesh Army is operating under nine area commands and infantry divisionsthe Savar Area Command and the 9th Infantry Division, the Coxs Bazar Area Command and the 10th Infantry Division at Ramu, the Bogra Area Command and the 11th Infantry Division, the Sylhet Area Command and the 17th Infantry Division, the Ghatail Area Command and the 19th Infantry Division, the Chittagong Area Command and the 24th Infantry Division, the Comilla Area Command and the 33rd Infantry Division, the Jessore Area Command and the 55th Infantry Division, the Rangpur Area Command and the 66th Infantry Division and the Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) at the Mymensingh Cantonment. The Army also has independent units under direct command of the Army headquarters. There are 28 cantonments across the country where Army personnel are working, training and living. They are the Alikadam Cantonment in Coxs Bazar, Bandarban Cantonment, the Bangladesh Military Academy in Chittagong, Chittagong Cantonment, Comilla Cantonment, Dhaka Cantonment, Dighinala Cantonment in Rangamati, Halishahar Cantonment in Chittagong, Jahanabad Cantonment in Khulna, Jahangirabad Cantonment in Bogra, Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet, Jessore Cantonment, Kaptai Cantonment in Rangamati, Khagrachari Cantonment in Khagrachari, Kholahati Cantonment in Dinajpur, Majhira Cantonment in Bogra, Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka, Mymensingh Cantonment, Postogola Cantonment in Dhaka, Qadirabad Cantonment in Natore, Rajendrapur Cantonment in Gazipur, Rajshahi Cantonment, Ramu Cantonment in Coxs Bazar, Rangamati Cantonment, Rangpur Cantonment, Saidpur Cantonment in Nilphamari, Savar Cantonment in Dhaka and the Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment in Ghatail.