Defense Update Bangladesh

Prime minister sheikh hasina inaugurated the newly built Bangladesh Naval Academy Complex. Chief of Naval Staff also attended the program along with other dignitaries.  Bangladesh Navy now can be able to host more international cadets in their training academy. This complex is one of the most beautiful building in the country. It is located in Patenga, Chittagong.

Bangladesh military operating various point and short range air defense missile systems. Those systems includes several hundred units of anti-aircraft gun systems, man portable air defense systems and short range surface-to-air missiles. Bangladesh Air Force & Army operating Chinese FM-90B SHORADS while Bangladesh Navy deployed FM-90N naval version.  Within this year BAF will complete induction of the Chinese LY-80E medium-range SAM system into active services. After that other armed services will do same. Due to the tensed geopolitical Bangladesh needs to secured its sky from any external threat. Hence network-centric advanced air defense systems are the most effective solution.

Ramu Cantonment of Bangladesh Army is located in the southern part of Bangladesh at Ukhia, Cox’s Bazaar. This is a new military station which hosts the newly formed 10th Infantry Division. Ramu Cant. is a strategically important base. Currently necessary infrastructure are being built to host various units & brigades.  New recruitments also in place to fulfill the expansion process. Ramu Cant being set up under the Forces Goal – 2030 modernization & expansion program of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. It’ll provide ultimate security to countless of very important civil-military installations and areas in the Chittagong region.

A fresh batch of newly commissioned officers of the Bangladesh Army has passed out and took their iron tough oath to protect the country with their life. The passing out parade has been held in the Bangladesh Military Academy Parade Ground. Chief of Army Staff Gen. Abu Belal Shafiul Haque along with other dignitaries attended the ceremony. Here is the second part of the video:

A fresh batch of newly commissioned officers of the Bangladesh Army has passed out and took their iron tough oath to protect the country with their life. The passing out parade has been held in the Bangladesh Military Academy Parade Ground. Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff General Shafiul Haque attended the ceremony. Family members and relatives of the cadets also attended. The ceremony is a common phenomenon when a new batch completes their 3 years long tough military training at BMA.  This is the first part of the full video:

Bangladesh Army evaluating to buy advanced heavy main battle tank and light tanks. Currently there are several options for light tanks, which weighs under 35 tons. Chinese VT-5 is one of the progressive contestant.  On the other hand Russian T-90MS, Chinese VT-4 or MBT-3000 and Ukrainian Oplot-M MBTs are the options for the heavy MBTs.

Bangladesh Navy setting up a new naval base at Patuakhali. This new base will host surface combatant and submarine berthing as well as a naval aviation facilities. Location of the base is in the Rabnabad channel. This naval base will be the biggest of its kind in the country. The Navy’s own air base will surely bolster operational capabilities of the navy. The name of the base has been settled ‘BNS Sher-E-Bangla’. Currently construction process going on in full speed.

Soldiers of the Bangladesh Army occasionally arranges various entertainment functions. In those programs they dance, sing and do comedy. Here is the first of the compilation.

Bangladesh Navy’s wing in the DGDP has issued a tender for two more ASW-ASuW helicopters from overseas suppliers/manufacturers. According to the operational & technical specifications stated in the tender it is obvious that Italian Leonardo will be the winner of this procurement.  Earlier Bangladesh Navy awarded Leonardo for two AW159 Wildcat ASW copter. BN wants to build a fleet of 12 anti-submarine warfare helicopters to multiply force capabilities.

Chinese Wuchang Shuangliu Shipyard launched 4th Bangladesh Navy Type 056 stealth corvette last Sunday. The hull number of the ship is F114, which will be outfitted soon. Currently the third one, F113, is being trialed in the open sea. Bangladesh Navy has a plan to operate such 14-16 corvettes. Currently two of them are in active BN services. Rest ships of the fleet will be built in the Khulna Shipyard Limited, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Navy currently operating two Leonardo AW109E Power utility helicopters and two RUAG Dornier Do-228NG maritime patrol aircrafts. Two Leonardo AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopters are on order & recently a tender has been surfaced to purchase to more such copters. On the other hand BN wants to expand its MPA aircrafts fleet to gain real force multiplier capabilities. On the line of this effort BD Navy ordered two more Do-228NG MPAs which will be fitted with the Leonardo SeaSpray AESA radars from Italy on those 2 new Dorniers.

Bangladesh Army updated their training program with the most modern and advanced procedure. To face the 21st century non-conventional security threats BA keep the soldiers upgraded with toughest military training.

Bangabandhu Satellite was planned by the Government of Bangladesh to reduce dependency on foreign satellite leasing. Thales Alenia Space designed & manufactured this communications satellite. This satellite will save around $14 million yearly. BS-1 will be operated by the Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited.

First manned flight happened in Bangladesh in 1882. The then Nawab of Dhaka Khwaja Ahsan Ullah arranged the occasion. He invited famous American professional balloonist Jeanette Van Tassel and her mother Jenny Rumary Van Tassel to Dhaka.  Jeanette Van Tassel started with her hot air balloon at 6:20 pm in 16 March, 1882. The plan was to fly from the south bank of the river Buriganga to the roof of the Ahsan Manzil, the palace of the Nawab Ahsan Ullah. But due to gusting wind her balloon missed the targeted landing point of Ahsan Manzil’s roof top. She flew away to the gardens of the Shahbag. There her balloon crashed in a bamboo thicket.

Bangabandhu Satellite – 1 is the first of its kind in Bangladesh. Franco-Italian Thales Alenia Space designed & manufactured this geostationary communications satellite for the Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited.  The BS-1 will be located at 119.1° East longitude geostationary slot. The lifespan of the BS-1 is about 15 years. This communication satellite will carry 40 transponders – 26 Ku-band & 14 C-band. Among those 40 transponders Bangladesh will use 20 and rest 20 will be leased to other parties for revenue.  In the first week of this April the Bangabandhu Satellite – 1 will be launched from the United States’ Cape Canaveral Space Launching Facilities. One SpaceX Falcon-9 Block-5 SLV will carry the BS-1 to the slotted orbit.  Two Ground Control Station has been established, one in Gazipur and another backup GCS in Rangamati district. Currently Bangladesh spend $14 million to lease foreign satellites to meet the needs. This amount of money will

Jean Kay was a French citizen who acted to help Bangladeshi refugees during 1971 Independence War of Bangladesh. He then in 3rd December hijacked the Pakistan International Flight PK-712 and argued the French Government to send medicines & other reliefs goods for Bangladeshis suffering due to the war.  Pompidou administration of the then France agreed and sent those relief support for the peoples of Bangladesh, but arrested Jean Kay. After a long trial process this hero was been released of all charges on humanitarian ground in 1973. Here is the brief story of that event.