It’s been more than half a century since the day in 1971 when the gutsy members of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force were officially united and launched joint operations against the larger, greater and bigger Pakistani occupant forces. The audacious actions of a few in numbers, fuelled by the righteousness of the cause, had effects in abundance. The events that took place on November 21, 1971, may not have been magnanimous in terms of resources, troops, and diversity of operation involved; however, the unity it demonstrated, and the morale effect that it had were truly tremendous for the people of ‘Golden Bangla’.

Till today, we solemnly reminisce about the incredible efforts made by our predecessors on this very day and hopefully, it will continue the same way in the days to come. And, why won’t that be? Not all countries can take pride in the fact that their Armed Forces came into being through the War of Liberation.

Armed forces have always acted as an aid in defending the country’s national interests and furthering national security and prosperity. Bangladesh Army, the largest of all three forces, is irrefutably credited with a lion’s share of such incredible achievements to its name.

Beyond the Uniform:  Bangladesh ArmyOnce deprived and discriminated by West Pakistanis, the Bangladesh Army now stands tall both within the country and beyond. The Army is now considered the beacon of peace in the international arena because of its contribution to overall peace support operations across the globe since 1988.

According to the Armed Forces Division’s official website, a total of 144 Bangladeshi peacekeepers had already paid the ultimate sacrifice, and 247 had suffered significant injuries while confronting ‘unknown enemies on foreign soil’. Of them, 131 martyrs and 232 injured peacekeepers are from the Bangladesh Army.

Undoubtedly, their supreme sacrifice has made the entire country proud. The Army’s unshakable dedication to protecting the sovereignty of the nation as well as the untiring commitment to the global peace efforts is a source of inspiration for us all.

The Army is often regarded as the symbol of the country’s confidence and pride by both the president and the prime minister. There can be many genuine reasons; however, the glorious contribution of the Bangladesh Army during our great Liberation War is certainly one of the most important ones. Born out of ashes, the capabilities of the Bangladesh Army have significantly enhanced during the last few decades. Appropriate weaponry and equipment have been steadily gathered as part of the Forces Goal-2030 to modernise the Army and prepare a credible force.

In war and peace, members of the Bangladesh Army are everywhere for the nation. The commendable contributions of the Bangladesh Army towards nation-building activities and becoming the yardstick of one of the most professional organisations in the country are now widely established. These didn’t come easily nor did the status of the highest troops contributing country, and a beacon of peace in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. The long list of monumental achievements of the Bangladesh Army is nothing but the sincere effort, resilience, dedication and professionalism of all the members of this force who always keep the nation’s interest above all come what may.

There are so many things for which the Bangladesh Army can be regarded as the pride of the nation starting from the Liberation War to creating conditions for a Peace Agreement back in 1997 by conducting a long counterinsurgency operation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

May it be a flood, earthquake, landslide, cyclone or any natural or manmade calamities, the Bangladesh Army is always prompt in responding to these disasters. The Army's contribution during the floods in 1988 and 1998, cyclone in 1991, Sidr in 2007, Aila in 2009, Rana Plaza tragedy in 2013 and flood-hit Sylhet in 2022 is a testimony to that commitment. Army’s fearless and prompt action during the Holey Artisan cafe attack in 2016, and Atia Mahal in 2017 has demonstrated its impeccable efficiency against unique and challenging threats.

The Army is doing an astounding job by proudly constructing a 1,036 km Border Road stretching across the three hilly districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, which will help authorities prevent violence in the hilly region and boost trade and tourism.

Besides, countrywide construction projects that include the construction of a marine drive from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf, several flyovers in Dhaka, Hatirjheel project, Machine Readable Passport Project, Voter ID project etc. have added laurels to the Bangladesh Army. The force is proud to ensure security for the country’s first-ever nuclear power plant and form the nucleus of security for the president and the prime minister.

The pivotal contribution Bangladesh Army made to distribute relief, provide logistics and ensure security to the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) in Cox’s Bazar since the influx has earned respect and admiration from all over the world.

Those who have not seen the Liberation War or only saw the fine outcomes that the Bangladesh Army has produced regarding promoting peace in the international arena, national development, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief both within the country and beyond will certainly not realise the effort the Army has put in. And, for that, it’s easy to feel ‘just usual’ or ‘nothing very impressive’ about these monumental achievements. Fortunately, the majority of people in Bangladesh hold the Army in high regard for their sacrifices, professionalism, and contributions to the nation and the global peace effort.

The perception of whether the Bangladesh Army is considered the pride of the nation depends on individual viewpoints and the perceptions can vary among different groups and individuals based on their personal experiences and beliefs. It is not unlikely that some may have sceptical views about the military’s contribution no matter how much effort the Army puts in.

The army is entrusted with the sacred responsibility of protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty. And, all members of this glorious organisation always remain alert and ready to perform this duty. The army will always stand beside people during any disaster and distress no matter what because the army doesn’t only belong to its members who wear the uniform. It’s yours, it’s mine, and it belongs to the people of ‘Golden Bangla’. Let’s view it in this way.  

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The writer is a serving Lieutenant

Colonel in the Bangladesh Army