Para-Commando Brigade (Bangladesh Army)

Para-Commando Brigade (Bangladesh Army)
Bangladesh
Active	1971 – present
Country	Bangladesh
Allegiance	Bangladesh
Type	Special Operations Force
Role	Special Operations
Size	2 Battalions
Part of	Bangladesh Army
Garrison/HQ	Sylhet Cantonment
Nickname(s)	The Cheetahs
Motto(s)	Do or Die
Colors	Maroon
Equipment	Colt M4A1, Type 56, Type 81, Dragunov SVD, Accuracy International Arctic Warfare, M1911, MP5 A3
Engagements	United Nations Peacekeeping Chittagong Hill Tracts Insurgency Operation Thunderbolt[1] Operation Twilight in Sylhet [2]

Para-commando Brigade (Bangladesh Army) is a specialized and an independent special operations brigade in the Bangladesh Army. The brigade was officially formed in 2017 consisting two para-commando battalions.

History

Formation

Before raising any Commando unit in Bangladesh there were many commandos in Bangladesh Army who were former SSG members. But they served as regular infantry solders. The first commando unit, 1st Para-Commando Battalion was formed in 1976. After rising the commando unit their names has been kept in it. Most of them are war heroes from the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971. Some of them are Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman, BU; Colonel Abu Taher, BU; Colonel A.T.M. Haider, BU; Major M. Anwar Hossain (Hail Commando), SBP; Brigadier Rab, BP; Brigadier Musa; Brigadier General Zahurul Haque,SBP; Lieutenant Colonel Md. Mustafizur Rahma, SBP, PSC; and Lieutenant Colonel M.M. Imrul Hassan, SBP.

Operational history

United Nations peacekeeping

BD Army Para-Commando troops patrolling at a UN mission

Bangladesh is participating in different UN peace keeping missions since 1988. Currently, Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors of the UN peace keeping operations. Army, Navy, Air Force an Police members from Bangladesh are the participants of peace keeping missions. Since 2010, Bangladesh is also sending its special forces members to the UNPKOs. And, army para-commandos are the most among all special forces members of Bangladesh who are being sent to the peace keeping operations. They are deployed both with regular infantry soldiers and independently.

Chittagong Hill Tracts Insurgency

The Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict was a political and armed conflict between the government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts) and its armed wing, the Shanti Bahini, over the issue of autonomy and the rights of the Buddhist and Hindu Jumma people, Chakma people and tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Shanti Bahini launched an insurgency against government forces in 1977, when the country was under military rule, and the conflict continued for twenty years until the government and the PCJSS signed the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

During the conflicts, the Para-commandos were used in different missions throughout the hill tracts. Most of the surveillance operations were carried out by them. Besides, all of the anti-insurgent operations were done with the support of the para-commandos. A lot of special operations and raids were done by them.

Operation Thunderbolt

On the night of 1 July 2016, at 21:20 local time,^[8] five militants took hostages and opened fire on the Holey Artisan Bakery^[9] in Gulshan Thana^[10][11] The assailants entered the bakery with crude bombs, machetes, pistols, and took several dozen hostages (foreigners and locals). In the immediate response, while Dhaka Metropolitan Police tried to regain control of the bakery, two police officers were shot dead by the assailants.^[10]

The rescue operation was ordered by the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and was named Operation Thunderbolt. The planning of the Operation was finalized at a meeting between the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Armed forces chiefs and top officials of different law enforcement agencies. The operation was led by 1st Para-commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army.^[12] Members of Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guards, Police, Rapid Action Battalion, SWAT and joint forces started the rescue operation at 07:40 local time.^[13] Hundred Army commandos stormed into the bakery with nine APC, smashing through the wall.^[14] A man, living next to the restaurant, took video of the operation and tweeted it on internet. Within 12 to 13 minutes, they took control over the area.^[14] The rescue operation lasted around 50 minutes. Bangladesh Army chief General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq and Bangladesh Navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nizamuddin Ahmed were present in the area during the raid.^[15]

Thirteen hostages were rescued. Five^[9] of the attackers were killed in a gunfight with the commandos, while the sixth^[9] was captured alive.^[16] During the operation one of the bakeries chefs was mistakenly identified as an attacker and was shot and killed by commandos.^[9] Police later identified the man as a worker in the bakery.^[9][17]

Operation Twilight in Sylhet

On Thursday, 23 March 2017, the Bangladesh Police surrounded a suspected militant hideout in South Surma Upazila, Sylhet, Bangladesh. Later, a SWAT team joined the police unit from Dhaka.^[18] The housing complex has two apartment buildings. The Police unit was reinforced with personal from Rapid Action Battalion on Friday.^[19] On Saturday, the 1st Para Commando Battalion took charge of operations and named it Operation Twilight.^[19]

Operation Twilight was launched by the 1st Para Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army under the command of GOC of 17th Infantry Division in Jalalabad Cantonment Major General Anwarul Momen.^[20] The main gate of the building was blocked by the militants with a refrigerator with an IED attached to it.^[21] The building had 30 apartments and 150 rooms, the militants were constantly changing their location.^[22] The operation was launched on Saturday morning around 8am. The Commando unit was being assisted by SWAT and Bangladesh Police.^[23] Security forces established a three kilometre perimeter around the militant hideout. The commandos rescued 78 civilians trapped in the building from Thursday.^[24] Two militants were killed in the initial attack, one of who detonated a suicide vest. The militants had planted IEDs all over the building which slowed down the military operation.^[25] Army spokesman, Brigadier General Fakhrul Ahsan, reported that the operation would take more time because of the presence of IEDs in "strategic points" in the building. The Bangladesh Army used RPGs and shells to drive the militants out without much success.^[26] The commandos also used Armoured Personnel Carriers in the operation.^[27] Finally four militants were found dead at the hideout.^[28][29]

Structure

Under this brigade's command, there are two Para-Commando battalions. They are:

• 1st Para-Commando Battalion
• 2nd Para-Commando Battalion

Duties

Para-Commandos in a joint Special Forces exercise with American Special Forces (Rangers)

Commandos are trained to operate in any kind of missions at home and abroad. Their missions include (but are not limited to):

• Unconventional warfare
• Counter-insurgency
• Counter-narcotics
• Counter-terrorism
• Covert insertions/extractions
• Hostage rescue and personnel recovery
• Raids
• Special reconnaissance
• Airborne operation

Rewards/padaks

• Bir Sreshtho
• Bir Uttam
• Bir Bikram
• Bir Pratik
• Sena Biratta Padak
• Sena Paradarsita Padak
• Best Commando Award

References