Army to get 36 more units in 6 years

The government has a plan to establish 36 more units along with one more artillery brigade within next six years to further strengthen the capacity of the army and make them more dynamic, LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told parliament yesterday.  
Replying to lawmakers' queries, Ashraful Islam, who is also in charge of the defence ministry in parliament affairs business, also said that the decision would be implemented under the 6th five-year plan.
In reply to another query, the minister said the work on a draft of the national defence policy and "Forces Goal 2030" for continuous development of armed forces was going on.
The government has already established the 17th infantry division, 99th combined brigade, 360th infantry brigade, 4 infantry battalions, one engineer construction battalion, one rudder control AD unit, one electric warfare company and one EME section, Ashraful said in a scripted reply.
The minister also informed the House that the Bangladesh Air Force had already installed surface to air missile system and procured 16 F-7 BGI/FT-7 BGI war aircraft in 2010-2011 to ensure security of sky in the country's southeast region.
He said some 1,979 new posts had been created to expand the air force along with establishing Bangladesh Air Force base station "Bangabandhu" under the "Forces Goal 2030".
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday informed the House that seven retired officers of the armed forces were now working in Bangladesh missions abroad as ambassadors and high commissioners.
The retired officers are Maj Gen Rezanur Rahman Khan, ambassador to Iraq; Maj Gen Mohammad Ashab Uddin, ambassador to Kuwait; Maj Gen Anup Kumar Chakma, ambassador to Myanmar; Rear Admiral ASM Abdul Awal, high commissioner to the Maldives; Maj Gen John Gomes, ambassador to the Philippines; Maj Gen KM Mominur Rahman, ambassador to Bahrain; and Maj Gen M Shahidul Haque, ambassador to Libya.