Border Guard Bangladesh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jf7692a (talk | contribs) at 22:36, 27 February 2009 (Removed colloquialism). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) is a paramilitary force in Bangladesh. Mainly associated with guarding the borders of the country, this force is known by the Bangladeshi as "The Vigilant Sentinels of Our National Frontier"[1]. The British had first organized the Ramgarh Local Battalion in 1795 by recruiting the native population. The battalion was succeeded by the Eastern Frontier Rifles, which guarded the frontier from 1891 to 1920, when it was disbanded. Border duties were assumed by the East Pakistan Rifles & finally by the BDR.

Apart from its primary task of protecting the borders, the members of Bangladesh Rifles have taken part in other military operations. This force was vested with the additional task of checking smuggling in 1958. Its members took up arms in an organized manner against the Pakistan Army during the liberation war of 1971. Several members earned gallantry awards - for example, Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh and Lance Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf earned the highest gallantry award, the Bir Sreshtha; 8 others were awarded the Bir Uttam, 40 other the, Bir Bikram and 91 the Bir Patik.

The BDR is headed by a Director General. The BDR administration and all its officers are Bangladesh Army officers. Its total manpower is 67,000, organized into a central headquarters and various sectors, battalions and border outposts, mainly along the frontiers.

History

The Bangladesh Rifles is entrusted with defending the 4,427 km border and with anti-smuggling operations. This force started in 1795 as ‘Ramgarh Local Battalion’. Later on, this force had been reshaped more in agency, name and uniform in accordance with the demand of the time. In 1799, the force established the first camp in of Peelkhana named as ‘Special Reserve Company'.

Bangladesh Rifles took part in many military operations including the First and Second World Wars. In the 1971 Liberation of Bangladesh, this force fought successfully in a number of border skirmishes, including Lathitila, Dohogram, Laksmipur, Assalong and Boroibari. Major Tofael was awarded the highest military operant of erstwhile Pakistan, ‘Nishan-e-Haider’, for his action in the Laksmipur Operation. During the War of Liberation, soldiers of this force took up arms against the occupation army. The contribution in the War of Liberation earned 142 gallantry awards including two ‘Bir Sresthos’ (the highest gallantry award).

Ramgarh Local Battalion (1795-1861) ‘The Frontier Protection Force’ was formed the East India Company. It was re-named the Ramgarh Local Battalion in 1795 and was given the assignment of suppressing insurgents around Ramgarh.

Frontier Guards (1861-1891) The Ramgarh Local Battalion was renamed the Frontier Guards for thirty years.

Bengal Military Police (1891-1919) The Frontier Guards was re-organized and equipped with more modern weapons, in 1891 as the ‘Bengal Military Police’. Commanded by a Subedar (Senior Warrant Officer), the BMP had four companies located at Dhaka, Dhumka and Gangtok.

Eastern Frontier Rifles (1920-1947) The BMP was reorganized & renamed the ‘Eastern Frontier Rifles’ in 1920. Its primary task was to protect the borders.

East Pakistan Rifles (1947-1972) After the partition of Indian sub-continent ‘Eastern Frontier Rifles’ was re-grouped and re-named the 'East Pakistan Rifles'. A metropolitan armed police of Calcutta and some 1,000 ex-soldiers of West Pakistan merged into the force. Officers from the army were employed and it was assigned border protection and anti-smuggling duties. The strength of the force was 13,454 in March 1971.

Bangladesh Rifles (1972-present) After the emergence of Bangladesh, the East Pakistan Rifles was re-named the Bangladesh Rifles in 1972.

Bangladesh rifles is notorious for murdering and mutilating bodies of innocent people and even have murdered several Indian border guards by treachary which is the hallmark of the organization. This has been aptly demonstrated in the february 2009 mutiny. This organization have dishonorably mutinies three times in its existence and is a refuge of terrorists and is source of disturbance in the region.

On 25th February, 2009, 3,000-4,000 B.D.R soldiers went on mutiny demanding their own officers and held the army officers hostage inside the BDR headquarters in Dhaka. The Director General of the BDR Shakil Ahmed, the sector commander of Dhaka Colonel Mujib and many other high-ranking officers have allegedly been killed in the ensuing violence. Among the unconfirmed dead is also the Sylhet sector commander Colonel Gulzar Uddin Ahmed, the man responsible for capturing many of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh leaders during his service in the Rapid Action Battalion. Several mutineering BDR soldiers have surrendered in Dhaka, however the mutiny is believed to have spread to at least a dozen other BDR camps across the nation. The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued a stern warning to mutineers to surrender and reportedly they have laid down arms and ammunition in Dhaka and other locations. Still, the situation is fluid and has not been brought under complete control of the authorities.

Liberation War & BDR

In 1958 this force was additional task of anti-smuggling. It is the only force whose members took up arms against the erstwhile pak. This organization is proud of its contribution for the independence and sovereignty of our nation boasting 14 awards comprising 2 highest gallantry awardees Bir Srestho Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheik, and Bir Srestho Munshi Abdur Rouf, 8 Bir Uttams, 40 Bir Bikrams and 91 Bir Pratiks. After the independence, on 3d March 1972 had been renamed as Bangladesh Rifles. As a mark of recognition of great courage and bravery of soldiers, Rifles introduced Bangladesh Rifles Podok in 1985 and President Rifles podok’ in 1989. So far, 21 members Bangladesh Rifles podok’ and 29 received ‘President Rifles podok’.

Gallantry award recipients

The Bangladesh Rifles joined the Bangladesh Liberation War on the side of East Pakistan in 1971. It suffered 817 casualties, and were highly honored; two of its soldiers were posthumously awarded the highest gallantry ‘Bir Srestho’ for unprecedented chivalry, eight were awarded of ‘Bir Uttam’ while thirty-two were awarded the ‘Bir Bikram’ and seventy-eight won the ‘Bir Protik’s.

  • Bir Sreshtho from BDR
  • List of Bir Uttam
    • Shahid DAD Salahuddin Ahmed
    • Shahid N/Sub Habibur Rahman
    • Shahid N/Sub Fazlur Rahman
    • Shahid Sepoy Shafiquddin Chowdhury
    • Shahid Havildar Mijibur Rahman
    • Shahid Sepoy AKM Ershad Ali
    • Shahid Sepoy Abu Taleb Sheikh
    • Shahid Sepoy Anwar Hossain Ahmed
    • Sub Abdul Malek
  • List of Bir Bikrom
    • AD Mohd. Abdus Shukur
    • N/Sub Sig Syed Amirruzaman
    • N/Sub Nazimuddin
    • N/Sub UK Ching
    • N/Sub Haider Ali
    • N/Sub Shah Ali Akond
    • Hav Abdus Salam
    • Hav Anis Mullah
    • Hav Arob Ali
    • Naik Shahid Mohd. abdul Kasem
    • Sepoy Shahid Mohd. Nurul Islam
    • Sub/Maj Sultan Ahmed
    • Sub/Maj Fakir Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury
    • Shahid Sub Moniruzzaman Ahmed
    • Shahid Sub Zumma Mia
    • N/Sub Bulu Mia
    • N/Sub Abdul Kher
    • Shahid Habilder Md. Kamruzzaman
    • Shahid Habilder Talik Ullah
    • Shahid/N Abdul Malek
    • Shahid/N Mozzafar Hossain
    • Shahid L/N Abdus Sattar
    • Shahid L/N Md. Nizam Uddin
    • Shahid Sepoy Zillur Rahman
    • Shahid Sepoy Golam Rasul
    • Sepoy Abul Basher
    • Sepoy Abdul Mazid
    • Sepoy Lilu Mia
    • Shahid Sepoy Delwar Hossain
    • Shahid Sepoy Azhar Mollik
    • Shahid Sepoy Mohammad Ullah
  • List of Bir Protik
    • DD Khairul
    • AD Md. Osman Ali
    • Sub Major Hassan Uddin Ahmed
    • Sub Md. Abdur Majumder
    • Sub Ayez uddin Ahmed
    • Sub Major Tabarak Ullah
    • Sub Abdul Zabbar
    • Sub Gloam Moshiur
    • Sub Ahmed Hossain
    • Sub Abdul Malek
    • Sub Mohammad Hossain
    • Sub Loni Miah
    • Sub Habibur Rahman
    • Sub Mamtaz Uddin
    • Sub Abdur Rashid
    • Sub Khalilur Rahman
    • Sub Abdul Goni
    • Sub Abdul Hossain
    • N/Sub Mafizur Rahman
    • N/Sub Nurul Huq
    • N/Sub Khorshed Alam
    • N/Sub Azizur Rahman
    • N/Sub Nazrul Islam
    • N/Sub Mostofa Kamal
    • N/Sub Saidur Rahman
    • Hav Oajid Ullah
    • Hav Malu Miah
    • Hav Shohokari Shafiq Uddin Ahmed
    • Hav Malu Miah
    • Hav Md. Ebrahim
    • Hav Shek Solaiman
    • Hav Ahmedur Rahman
    • Hav Bacchu Miah
    • Hav Atahar Ali
    • Hav Zakir Hossain
    • NK Tofayel Ahmed
    • NK Saidul Hoque
    • Lnk Forkan Ali
    • Lnk Md. Abdul Miah
    • Lnk Delowar Hossain
    • Sepoy Lutfur Rahman
    • Sepoy Abdul Zabbar
    • DAD Mozaffor Hossain
    • Hav Abdur Rahman
    • Shahid Nk Rashid Ali
    • Shahid N Abdul Gofoor
    • Sepoy Abdul Hamid
    • Shahid Sepoy Md. Yakob Ali
    • Nk Sig Bosir Ahmed
    • Sub Syed Khan
    • Sub Abdul Rouf Sharif
    • Hav Abdur Oahid
    • Sub Mazharul Haque
    • Hav Shahid Abul Hossain
    • Sub Maj Abdul Jalil Sikder
    • Shahid Sepoy Faroque Lakshor
    • Sub Maj Abdul Oazed
    • Sub Maj Rpchib Ali
    • N/Sub Asad Ali
    • Hav Abu Taher
    • Shahid Sepoy Gul Mohammad Bhawyan

Dishonorable conduct of BDR

The British initially organized this force during the days of the empire. During the independence era, in 1958, the East Pakistan Rifles was given the additional task of carrying out anti-smuggling operations.

After independence, on 3 March 1972, the force was renamed the 'Bangladesh Rifles'. As a mark of recognition of the courage of its soldiers, the Bangladesh Rifles introduced the 'Bangladesh Rifles award' award in 1985 and the 'President Rifles award' decoration in 1989. So far, 21 members have won the 'Bangladesh Rifles award' and 29 have received the 'President Rifles award'. During a fierce border skirmish at BOROIBARI Border Out Post in 2001, three Bangladesh Riflemen were killed in action in fighting with Indian forces.

Organization as of 27 Feb 2009; 20:00 BDT (after mutiny of 25 Feb 2009)

  • Director-General (DG), Bangladesh Rifles: Brigadier General Moinul Hasan, awc, psc (He is appointed by the order of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Government on 27 Feb 2009)
  • Deputy Director-General (DDG), Bangladesh Rifles: Brigadier General Mohammad Abdul Bari, ndc, psc (Killed during mutiny)
  • Director (Operations and Training): Colonel Abdul Halim Khan, psc, G (missing)
  • Director Administration : Colonel Syed Kabirul Haque (found alive)
  • Sector Commander, Dhaka Sector: Colonel Mujibul Haque ((Killed during mutiny)

BDR's top commanders comprise of only officers from the regular Army, which is one of the major grievances of the mutineers. This is done for better integration of the para-military force with the regular forces. Having regular forces on the top allows for easy chain of command during the times of need [2].

Border Incidents

The BDR has frequently been involved in skirmishes with its Indian counterpart, the Border Security Force (BSF).

The highest number of incidents occurred in 2002 when 105 Bangladeshi rifles soldiers were killed from cross-border BSF firing. Most of them supplement their meagre salaries by dacaoity and smuggling.[3]

Asian Human Rights Commission - Report on human rights violations by the Bnagladesh rifles on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

February 2009 Mutiny

Main article: 2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt

On 25 February 2009, the regular BDR soldiers mutinied against the senior officials, killing most of the high officials of BDR (almost 150 Army officers who served in BDR), including the Dhaka BDR Sector Commander Colonel Mujib and the Director General of BDR, Major General Shakil Ahmed. However by 25th of February 2009 Security forces in Bangladesh rounded up hundreds of fugitive border guards after a two-day mutiny crumbled in the face of a government show of force. The arrests came a day after army tanks surrounded the border guards’ headquarters in the heart of this crowded capital. The newly elected prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, promised amnesty for those who surrendered and tough action against any holdouts. Army officers were quoted on Friday as saying "security forces set up roadblocks and arrested almost 300 border guards, many of whom shed their uniforms and fled after the mutiny fizzled." The guards had been demanding improved pay and working conditions, and accused the Director General of embezzling their wage bonuses.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bangladeshi rifles
  2. ^ http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=77580
  3. ^ http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/06/15/d606150603108.htm
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Border_Guard_Bangladesh&oldid=273750018"