Bangladesh Army Armoured Corps

Bangladesh Army Armoured Corps
বাংলাদেশ সেনাবাহিনী সাজোয়া বাহিনী
Insignia of the Armoured Corps
Active	1974 — present
Branch	Bangladesh Army
Type	Cavalry
Nicknames	AC King of the Battles
Colors	Red and Yellow
Equipment	See list
Engagements	15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état First Siege of Dhaka Sipahi–Janata Revolution
Commanders
Colonel Commandant	Major General Mohammad Habib Ullah [1]
Previous Colonel Commandants	Maj. Gen. Muhammad Rashed Amin Gen. Abu Belal Shafiul Haque Gen. Aziz Ahmed [2] Gen. Shafiuddin Ahmed [3]

Bangladesh Army Armoured Corps is one of the military administrative and combat arms of the Bangladesh Army.

Pre-Independence

The armoured corps was established properly after the independence of Bangladesh, though the Bengali soldiers and officers of Pakistan Army fought with the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War. As per official records of the army, during the war, 57 personnel of armoured corps were killed in action. ^[4] During the war, a handful of armoured corps personnel won gallantry awards, which includes Major Shariful Haque Dalim (Bir Uttom), Risaldar Moslemuddin Khan (Bir Protik) and Major S. H. M. B. Noor Chowdhury (Bir Bikrom). However, their awards were revoked in 2021 as they had taken part in the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. ^[5]

Post independence

After the war, the only tank regiment of Bangladesh was 1st Bengal Lancers, having only three outdated tanks abandoned by Pakistan Army. ^[6] Later, Bangladesh received 30 T-54 tanks from President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had supported Egypt during the Yom Kippur War and had sent tea to Egypt. ^[7] One of the earliest units of the armoured corps, 1st Lancers had taken part in the 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état, which was later dissolved. The unit had taken part in First Siege of Dhaka and Sipahi–Janata Revolution as well.

Units

The Armoured Corps consists of the following units: ^{[8] [9] [10]}

1. 12th Lancers
2. 15th Independent Armoured Squadron
3. 9th Lancers
4. 6th Cavalry
5. 7th Horse
6. 4th Horse
7. 16th Cavalry
8. 26th Horse

Apart from these units, the only armoured brigade of Bangladesh, 93rd Armoured Brigade comes under the 11th Infantry Division. The brigade is composed with one armoured unit and one mechanized infantry unit. ^[11]

Equipments

Main article: List of serving generals of the Bangladesh Army § List of serving Bangladesh Army Major Generals

References

1. "সাঁজোয়া কোরের '৯ম কর্নেল কমান্ড্যান্ট' অভিষেক অনুষ্ঠিত". দৈনিক ইনকিলাব (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-09-23.
2. Sun, Daily. "Gen Aziz becomes 7th Colonel Commandant of Armoured Corps". daily-sun. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
3. "Army Chief adorned as Colonel Commandant of Armoured Corps". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
4. "History of Armoured Corps in Liberation War" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-09-22.
5. "HC asks to strip freedom fighter titles of four Bangabandhu killers". The Business Standard. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
6. "Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1975) - profile of two masterminds or 'Killer Majors' Syed Farook Rahman & Khandaker Abdur Rashid - History of Bangladesh". www.londoni.co. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
7. "শেখ মুজিবকে মিশরের উপহার দেয়া ট্যাংক যেভাবে তার হত্যাকাণ্ডে ব্যবহৃত হয়েছিল". BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-09-23.
8. "Bangladesh Army officer in coma adorned with colonel badge". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
9. Unb, Dhaka (2009-11-22). "Flag raising ceremony of 403 battle group held". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
10. "Tender Details - Bangladesh Army". www.army.mil.bd. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
11. "বগুড়ার ধুনটে দুস্থ মানুষের মাঝে সেনাবাহিনীর শীতবস্ত্র বিতরণ". দৈনিক ইনকিলাব (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-09-23.