Bangladesh Army’s Lieutenant General Shafi-ul-Huq new army chief

Bangladesh Army’s Lieutenant General  Shafi-ul-Huq new army chief

The government has appointed Lieutenant General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, principal staff officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD), as the new army chief.

According to a circular issued by the Defence Ministry yesterday, Bangladesh Army’s BA 1738 Lt Gen Shafiul will be promoted to General on June 25. “On the same day, as per the Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Services (Tenure of Appointment) Order 1981, he will begin to hold the post of the chief of the armed forces for the next three years,” reads the circular signed by the Defence Ministry’s Joint Secretary Abu Bakkar Siddique as per the order of the president. Shafiul will succeed General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, the incumbent army chief.

According to a separate circular issued by the Defence Ministry, Bangladesh Army Chief BA 1466 General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan will retire from his position on June 25, and will receive all kinds of retirement facilities as per the law. Iqbal was appointed the army chief on June 7, 2012, and took charge on June 25.

Before serving as the PSO of the AFD, Shafiul served as the commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Dhaka. Born in December 1958, Shafiul was commissioned in Armoured Corps on June 18, 1978, from Bangladesh Military Academy.

For his outstanding performance in the academy, he was adjudged the best all-round cadet in his batch and was awarded with the “Sword of Honour.” Shafiul obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Dhaka, Master’s degree in defence studies from National University and another Master’s degree in philosophy from Bangladesh University of Professionals.

In his distinguished career spanning almost 37 years, Shafiul has held a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments. As a staff, he served as the ADC to the president, brigade major of an infantry brigade and chief of staff of an infantry division. As an instructor, he served in Bangladesh Military Academy and also at Defence Services Command and Staff College.

He commanded two armour units, three brigades (one armour and two infantries) and two divisions. Shaiful also served as the military secretary and adjutant general of the armed forces. He was a member of the pioneer group of officers sent to the United Nations peacekeeping mission from Bangladesh. He was an observer in Uniimog (United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group) in Iraq in 1988-89 and the deputy force commander of Unmee (United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea) in Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2006-07.

Source: Dhaka Tribune