Bangladesh names Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman as new army chief

Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman was named Bangladesh's next Army chief for a three-year term on June 11.

The Defence Ministry said that Zaman will assume charge on June 23.

Lt Gen Zaman, 58, would concurrently be upgraded to the rank of a four-star general on the day he assumed charge. He will succeed General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed after the end of the latter's three-year tenure.

In a statement, the Defency Ministry said, “Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman has been appointed as the Army Chief with promotion as (four-star) General . . . for three years from the afternoon of June 23.”

Under his position as the Chief of General Staff (CGS), Zaman will look after military operations, military intelligence, United Nations peacekeeping affairs, and budget, alongside other military-related issues.

During his more than three and a half decades of illustrious career, Zaman has an enormous experience in holding key command, staff and instructional appointments and has commanded an infantry battalion, the only independent infantry brigade of the Bangladesh Army, and an infantry division, as per the Ministry.

He was directly involved with UN Peacekeeping Affairs of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and was also nominated as a Gender Champion and Gender Advocate of Bangladesh for UN Peacekeeping Affairs. Zaman also headed the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention as chairman.