Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury - Military Career

Military Career

He returned to Independent Bangladesh in January 1974 and joined the Bangladesh Army. Later he joined the 17th East Bengal Regiment. In 1975 he became a brigade major of the 46 Infantry Brigade Headquarters at Dhaka. Later he returned to 17th East Bengal Regiment as a captain and in 1977 went to Ruma of Chittagong Hill Tracts. He got married in 1977. He came to Dhaka later that year to join 9 Infantry Division and received training at Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, and worked for two years as an instructor and went to Alikadam of Chittagong Hill Tracts. From there he went to Bangladesh Military Academy at Bhatiari and later returned to Dhaka. After some time he was promoted into brigade commander at Savar. At the Gulf War in 1990, he was commander of the Bangladesh Military contingent that took part at the war. He spent nine months stationed in different places across Saudi Arabia. He described his experience as tough but professionally pleasing.

After coming back home from the war, Chowdhury received training at Army War College in United States. With that he got a chance to fulfill his long waited dream when he finished his masters in public administration at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. As part of the training he toured Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico.

Coming back home from foreign land, he was appointed as a Brigade Commander at Khagrachhari, Chittagong Hill Tracts. After that he was posted at Defence Services Command and Staff College at Mirpur. One year later he was sent to Bogra as General Officer Commanding of the 11 Infantry Division after a turmoil inside the army in 1996. After one year he was appointed as Chief of General Staff and then as Commandant of the National Defense College. Then he had a chance to work as a High Commissioner of Bangladesh in the United Arab Emirates. There he got a rewarding chance to help the local Bangladeshi immigrants. In June 2002 he received an urgent call from Bangladesh and learned that he was appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, a feat which is the highest for an army officer. After three years he was asked to extend his term, but he refused. He stated that "... three years was sufficient to prove the credibility of an army chief. Secondly those who are new were ready and interested for this responsibility.". However, he recommended Moeen's name as next army chief as was convinced by Moeen, which superseded 9 senior army officers. By that he also did injustice.

Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury is the last Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army who was commissioned before the Bangladesh Liberation War in the Pakistan Army.