Bangladesh Navy

The Bangladesh Navy (বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী) is the naval arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, however it is implementing an ambitious procurement and expansion program to ensure the security of Bangladesh's maritime boundary which includes the country's vast exclusive economic zone, deep sea oil, gas and mineral reserves, and vital shipping lanes in the Bay of Bengal. The Bangladesh Navy is undergoing major transformation since last decade. In 2010 contracts were signed for a total of 11 ships out of which 8 are new construction. Two Agusta Westland AW 109 E maritime helicopters were delivered in July 2011. On 23 June 2011 contract was signed with Ruag for supply of 2 Dornier 228 NG MPA.

History
The Bangladesh Navy was created as part of Bangladesh Forces during Bangladesh's 1971 Independence war against Pakistan. Its official creation date is July 1971 during the historic Bangladesh Sector Commanders Conference 1971. In 1971, with West Pakistan imposing a brutal military crack-down in East Pakistan, the Bangladesh Liberation War was already underway. Many Bengali sailors and officers in the Pakistan Navy defected to form the nascent Bangladesh Navy. Initially, there were two ships and 45 navy personnel. On 9 November 1971, the first naval fleet consisting of six small patrol vessels were inaugurated. These ships tried to carry out raids on the Pakistani fleet, but were mistakenly hit and sunk by Indian Air Force on December 10, 1971. The next major attack was launched on Mongla seaport. According to official figures from Bangladesh Navy, a total of 334 sailors were involved with the newly created navy with 22 being killed in action.  Bangladesh Navy

Organization and formation
Bangladesh Navy (BN) has its headquarters at Banani, Dhaka. HQ has 4 branches, Operations (O), Personnel (P), Material (M) and Logistics (Log). Each branch is headed by officers who are titled as Principal Staff Officer (PSO) and known as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (ACNS), e.g., ACNS (O). Under each PSO there are various Directorates headed by Directors with the rank of Captain. Under each Director there are Deputy Directors (DD) and Staff Officers (SO).

Flag officers holding command or important positions in the Bangladesh Navy are as follows.

Headquarters
Chief of Naval Staff
 * CNS Secretary-Commander Nazrul Islam, (S), psc, BN
 * Judge Advocate Gen-Instructor Captain Sahadat Hossain, BN
 * Naval Secretary (NS)-Commodore Shamsul Alam, (G), ndu, psc, BN
 * Drafting Authority- Rear admiral M Saiful Kabir, (L), ndc, psc, BN


 * Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations)
 * Directorate of Naval Operations (DNO)- Captain M Mozammel Haque, (G), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Plans (DNP) - Captain Mir Ershad Ali, (G), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI) - Captain M Sohail, (TAS), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Works (D of Wks) - Captain Kutubuddin Bakhtiar, (E), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Signals (D Sig) - Captain M Mozammel Haque, (G), psc, BN (in addition)
 * Directorate of Hydrography (D of Hydro) Captain S Mahmudul Hasan, (H), psc, BN


 * Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Personnel)
 * Directorate of Personnel Services (DPS) - Captain M Khalid Hossain, (S), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Training (DNT)- Captain S M Sabbir, (ND), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Welfare (D of Wel) - Captain S Hasibur Rahman, (G), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Education Services (DNES) - Captain M Naim Golam Muktadir, (H-1), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Civilian Personnel (DCP) - Mr Moyeed, CSO-I
 * Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) - Surg Captain Abul Kalam Azad, BN


 * Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Materiel)
 * Directorate of Naval Engineering (DNE) - Captain M Moyeenul Haque, (E), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Weapon and Electrical Engineering (DNW&EE) - Captain M Ziauddin Alamgir, (L), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Armament Inspection and Supply (DNAI&S) - Captain Shahed Iqbal, (L), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Information Technology (DIT) - Captain M Moyeenul Haque,(E), psc, BN (in addition)
 * Directorate of Ship Building (DSB) - Captain M Moyeenul Haque, (E), psc, BN (in addition)


 * Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Logistics)
 * Directorate of Naval Stores (DNS) - Captain A M Rezaul Haque, (S), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Naval Budget (D of Budget) - Captain M Lokmanur Rahman, (S), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Technical Stores (DTS) - Capt A H Chowdhury, (E), psc, BN
 * Directorate of Pay Pension and Accounts (DPP&A)- Captain T M Nasrullah, (S), psc, BN

List of Chiefs of Naval Staff

 * Captain Nurul Haq (up until 6 November 1973)
 * Commodore Musharraf Hussain Khan (7 November 1973 - 22 February 1976)
 * Rear Admiral Musharraf Hussain Khan (23 February 1976 - 3 November 1979) - served as Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator of Bangladesh from 1975 to 1977 with Ziaur Rahman and M. G. Tawab.
 * Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan (4 November 1979 - 6 August 1984)
 * Rear Admiral Sultan Ahmed (6 August 1984 - 14 August 1990)
 * Rear Admiral Amir Ahmed Mustafa (15 August 1990- 2 May 1991)
 * Commodore Muhammad Mohaiminul Islam (4 June 1991 - 17 June 1991)
 * Rear Admiral Muhammad Mohaiminul Islam (17 June 1991 - 3 June 1995)
 * Rear Admiral Mohammad Nurul Islam (4 June 1995 - 3 June 1999)
 * Rear Admiral Abu Taher (4 June 1999 - 3 June 2002)
 * Rear Admiral Shah Iqbal Mujtaba (4 June 2002 - 9 January 2005)
 * Rear Admiral M Hasan Ali Khan (10 January 2005 - 9 February 2007)
 * Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam (10 February 2007 - 28 January 2009)
 * Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed (29 January 2009 – 28 January 2013)
 * Vice Admiral M Farid Habib (28 January 2013 – Present)

Branches
Bangladesh Navy has 6 administrative branches:


 * 1) Executive (X)
 * 2) Mechanical Engineering (E)
 * 3) Electrical Engineering (L)
 * 4) Supply & Secretariat (S&S)
 * 5) Education
 * 6) Medical

Bangladesh Naval Aviation
Bangladesh Naval aviation started its journey on 14 July 2011 with the induction of two AugustaWestland AW109 Power helicopter.On 27 December 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated Naval Aviation in Chittagong. Bangladesh Naval Aviation operates from Chittagong Air Station. Forward Operation bases are Patuakhali, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka and Khulna.

Marines and Special Forces
The Bangladesh Navy maintains a Special Operations unit known as the SWADS. On 27 dec 11, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commissioned SWADS base as BNS Nirvik at Danger Char opposite to BNS Isa Khan. The current strength of the unit is classified.

Future Expansion Plan
The Government of Bangladesh announced an ambitious defence procurement plan in February 2009 for a major purchase of weaponry, equipment and hardware for its armed forces, including anti-tank and anti-ship missile systems, aircraft for maritime patrol, frigates, tanks and helicopters. The Parliamentary standing committee in principle agreed to a 10-year development program in June 2009, under which the navy is to acquire 3 missile frigates, 3 large offshore patrol vessels with helicopter deck (2 already acquired, with a third in the process), 12 patrol craft, submarines, 2 landing craft (utility), 2 hydro-graphic research ship (acquired), 1 salvage vessel, 4 Fast Attack Craft (Missile) and install guided weapons systems in some ships to strengthen their combat capability. Following BNS Osman, BNS Bangabandhu, the most modern ship of Bangladesh Navy, is going to be equipped with maritime helicopter, air defence and anti-ship missile. Bangladesh Navy is replacing its three age-old ex-Royal Navy frigates (BNS Abu Bakar, BNS Ali Haider and BNS Umar Farooq) with modern frigates within the next couple of years and also preparing to add submarines to its fleet by 2019.

Under a contract with CSOC, BN will construct 5 Patrol Craft of 350 tons at Khulna Shipyard with Chinese technical assistance of which two are commissioned in 2013. BN has also signed a contract for the delivery additional C-704 SSM and QW-2 shoulder launched SAM. The C-704 SSMs will be fitted on board the existing quad-launcher missile boats as part of mid-life upgrade. Two AW 109E helicopters arrived in Bangladesh on 14 June 2011 and after being reassembled are now in active service.On 3 June 2013 From Ruag Germany two Dornier 228 NG MPA has been delivered which are also in active service now.

As of April,2010 the rapid modernization program of BN involves order of


 * 1) 2x Jianghu-III guided missile frigate (China),
 * 2) 2x Durjoy Class missile corvette (China),
 * 3) 1x Hydrographic Survey ship (Indigenous),
 * 4) 1x Fleet Replenishment Oil Tanker (Indigenous),
 * 5) 2x LCU (Indigenous),
 * 6) 1x Salvage ship (Indigenous),
 * 7) 12x Patrol boats (Indigenous),
 * 8) 3x Harbin Z-9C Anti-Submarine helicopter (China),
 * 9) C-802A ASM missiles for 3 frigate and 4 missile boats (China),
 * 10) FM-90N SAM for 3 frigates (China) - already fitted on board BNS Bangabandhu.
 * 11) 2x Type 056 corvette (China)
 * 12) 2x Incheon Class corvettes.(South Korea)

On discussion:


 * 1) 3x guided missile frigates in addition to the couple ordered from (China / South Korea),
 * 2) New generation of light and heavy Torpedoes (EU + China),
 * 3) 4x Submarine (Turkey / Germany / South Korea / China).

Bangladesh Naval Academy
Bangladesh Naval Academy is the commissioned officer training academy of Bangladesh Navy located at the port city Chittagong.