Bangladesh sees major military reshuffle days after Tarique Rahman becomes PM

2026-02-23 - 10:03

DHAKA – Just days after Tarique Rahman assumed the office of Prime Minister, Bangladesh has witnessed a major reshuffle in its top military leadership. The international media reported that a notice issued by the Army Headquarters stated that Brigadier General Muhammad Hafeez Rahman, who was serving as Defense Advisor in India, has been promoted to Major General. He has been appointed as General Officer Commanding of the 55th Infantry Division and has been immediately recalled to Bangladesh. Lieutenant General Muhammad Moeen Rahman has been appointed as Chief of General Staff. Major General Qaiser Rasheed Chaudhry has been named Director General of Forces Intelligence, while Major General Muhammad Jahangir Alam has been appointed as an ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reports suggested that Lieutenant General Mir Mushfiq Rahman has been assigned as Principal Staff Officer in the Armed Forces Division. His predecessor, Lieutenant General S.M. Qamarul Hasan, has now been placed under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The development took place days after Tarique Rahman assumed charge as prime minister of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday, after his party’s sweeping parliamentary election victory. Rahman, 60, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, takes office facing urgent challenges, including restoring political stability, re-building investor confidence, and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after the prolonged turmoil that followed the Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. An interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ran the country through the transitional period leading up to the election. Breaking with tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence, where such events are usually organ-ised. President Mohammed Shahabuddin officiated as Rahman and his cabinet took their oaths in the presence of senior political figures, diplomats, civil and military officials, and repre-sentatives from invited countries, including China, India and Pakistan. Rahman’s BNP secured a commanding two-thirds majority, returning to power after near-ly two decades. The Jamaat-i-Islami, contesting its first election since a 2013 ban was lift-ed following Hasina’s ouster, won a record 68 seats. Hasina’s Awami League party was banned from contesting after its registration was re-voked by the Election Commission. Jamaat and its allies, including the National Citizen Party, led by youth activists who played a prominent role in the movement that toppled Hasina, will form the opposition. Rahman’s elevation caps a long and turbulent political journey. He returned to Bangla-desh last year after 17 years of self-imposed exile in London, arriving shortly before his mother’s death. Rivals have long criticised his political record, pointing to corruption allegations he de-nies, but his return energised party supporters and reshaped the BNPs campaign. In his first remarks after the election, Rahman urged calm and restraint, saying: Peace, law and order must be maintained at any cost. He called on supporters to avoid retaliation, warning: We will not tolerate any kind of chaos. Bangladesh shuts airspace to Indian airline over unpaid dues