Para-Commando Brigade (Bangladesh)

The Para-Commando Brigade is an independent special operations brigade of the Bangladesh Army. The brigade was officially formed on 4 September 2016 on adhoc basis consisting two para-commando battalions.

Crack Platoon
Crack platoon was a specialized commando unit of Muktibahini during liberation war of Bangladesh.The legendary commando officer Major A.T.M Haider(a formar SSG commando in Pakistan Army) formed this unit under the command of sector no-2.Sector commander Khaled Mosarrof personally took care about this unit. In June,1971 ,commander Khaled made a plan to send commandos in Dhaka city.Because a delegation came from world Bank to visit the East-Pakistan(Now Bangladesh).For that,The Pakistan government was trying to show them ,everything was normal in Dhaka.But The Commander of sector-2,Khaled Mosarrof was trying to show the whole world that nothing was normal in Dhaka.For that he along with Commando Major Haider made a plan to lunch an commando assult in Dhaka City.They decided to send the specialized platoon-"Y"(which was renamed as Crack-Platoon) in Dhaka City. The Commandos successfully lunched some operations in Dhaka city and showed the whole world that nothing was normal there.

Operations of Crack Platoon

1. Operation Hotel Intercontinental

2. Operation Five power stations

3. Operation Farmgate

4. Operation Dhanmondi

5. Operation Green road

1st Para-Commando Battalion
In 1976, special warfare wing was opened at the Bangladesh Army School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T). This was the first step towards formation of a special force. In 1980, the army commando course and the counter-insurgency course was started in special warfare wing. In the same year, the special warfare wing was expanded to special warfare school. In 1988, the first para training course was started at the special warfare school.

On 30 June 1992, the 1st Para-Commando Battalion started its journey at Jalalabad cantonment of Sylhet. The flag of the battalion was raised in May 1993. On 1 June 2015, 1st Para-Commando Battalion came out as a full fledged regiment. After the formation of adhoc para-Commando Brigade on 4 September 2016, they started working under the command of the Brigade.

The battalion was awarded the national standard on 2 November 2017 as a recognition of their outstanding works.

Formation
Para-commando brigade was formed to cope with the security threats of new era. With the increase of unconventional security threats from state and non-state actors, expansion of the special operations force was unavoidable. To meet these needs, para-commando brigade was raised on ad hoc basis on 4 September 2016. the brigade includes the former 1st Para-Commando Battalion and newly formed 2nd Commando Battalion, and 3rd Commando Battalion. The formation is yet to get its full strength.

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


 * 1st Para-Commando Battalion, headquartered in Sylhet.
 * 2nd Para-Commando Battalion, headquartered in Sreemangal Upazila, Maulavibazar

United Nations peacekeeping


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.

Dhaka Holey Artisan Bakery Hostage Crisis
On 1 July 2016, five assailants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery with crude bombs, machetes, ak 22 rifle and pistols, in Dhaka's affluent neighbourhood, Gulshan 2, which is extremely popular among expatriates and foreigners, at roughly 9:20 pm, taking hostage of the locals and foreigners inside. Not realising the gravity of the situation, the initial assault to secure the premises, commenced by Dhaka Metropolitan Police, resulted in the casualties of two police officers in exchanging gun-fire with the assailants.

However, Police and the Rapid Action Battalion acted with celerity in setting up a perimeter around the Bakery to block escape of any assailant. After fruitless hours of seeking to bring a peaceful solution to the problem, when the perpetrators refused to communicate with authorities, the realisation set that alternative measures were required.

At an early morning meeting on Saturday (2 July), the highest level of Government decided to engage the 1st Commando Battalion. They were flown in from Sylhet to carry out a counterassault and free the hostages. After gathering intelligence from RAB and the Police forces present on the ground, Commandos initiated their raid (codenamed "Operation Thunderbolt"), which began at 7:40 am and concluded at 8:30 am. They were successfully able to free 13 hostages and kill the assailants.

During the attack, 9 Italians, 7 Japanese, 2 Bangladeshis, 1 Indian, and 1 American were killed by the perpetrators.

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

Operation Twilight was launched by the 1st Para-Commando Battalion of the adhoc para-commando brigade of the Bangladesh Army under the command of GOC of 17th Infantry Division in Jalalabad Cantonment Major General Anwarul Momen. The main gate of the building was blocked by the militants with a refrigerator with an IED attached to it. The building had 30 apartments and 150 rooms, the militants were constantly changing their location. The operation was launched on Saturday morning around 8am. The Commando unit was being assisted by SWAT and Bangladesh Police. Security forces established a three kilometre perimeter around the militant hideout. The commandos rescued 78 civilians trapped in the building from Thursday. 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. 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. The commandos also used Armoured Personnel Carriers in the operation. Finally four militants were found dead at the hideout.

Equipments
Members of the paracommando Brigade are trained to operate a vast array of firearms including different types of assault rifles, pistols and sub-machine guns. The unit has variety of weapons in their inventory such as-
 * Type 56 Assault Rifle
 * M4 Carbine
 * Steyr AUG
 * Glock 17
 * MP5A3
 * Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
 * Dragunov SVD
 * Type 81 assault rifle

Duties


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/Madels
The following are the various gallantry, service and war medals of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Decorations in the order of precedence:

Peacetime gallantry awards

 * Bir Sorbottam-(বীর সর্বোত্তম; literally, "The Foremost Braves"), the highest gallantry award
 * Bir Mrittunjoee- (বীর মৃত্যুঞ্জয়ী; literally, "The Immortal Braves"), the second highest gallantry award
 * Bir Chiranjib- (বীর চিরঞ্জীব; literally, " The Incorruptible Braves"), the third highest gallantry award
 * Bir Durjoy- (বীর দুর্জয়; literally, "The Indomitable Braves"), the fourth highest

Army service Medals
Service and campaign medal

Hill Tracts Campaign medals
Service medals

Long service awards