Ministry of Defence (Bangladesh)

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) (Bengali: প্রতিরক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয়) is a Bangladeshi government ministry. The MoD is headed by the Minister of Defence, a civilian and member of cabinet. The post is usually held by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who also serves as the President's second-in-command of the military. The MoD exercises supreme command authority over the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defence

Bengali: প্রতিরক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয়
Government Seal of Bangladesh
Ministry overview
Formed	14 April 1971; 54 years ago (14 April 1971)
Jurisdiction	Government of Bangladesh
Headquarters	Ganabhaban Complex, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka[1]
Annual budget	৳42014 crore (US$3.5 billion) (2024-2025)
Adviser responsible	Muhammad Yunus, Adviser for Defence
Ministry executive	Md. Ashraf Uddin, Defence Secretary
Child agencies	Bangladesh Armed Forces Armed Forces Division Directorate General of Defence Purchase Directorate General of Forces Intelligence
Website	mod.gov.bd

Organisational structure

Parliament is constitutionally responsible for working with the president and the service chiefs in ensuring the nation's defence. In practice, however, members of Parliament have never played a significant role in either national defence planning or defence budgeting, the Defence Secretary does.^[2]

Agencies and departments under the Ministry of Defence

The list of agencies and departments under the Ministry of Defence of Bangladesh are given below:^[3]

Defence Forces

• Bangladesh Army
• Bangladesh Navy
• Bangladesh Air Force

Inter-Forces institutions

• Directorate General of Medical Services (DGMS)
• National Defence College (NDC)
• Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC)
• Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST)
• Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)
• Armed Forces Medical Institute (AFMI)
• Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP)
• Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF)
• Military Engineer Services (MES)
• Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB)
• Bangladesh Armed Services Board (BASB)
• Directorate General of Defence Purchase (DGDP)
• Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI)
• Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)^[4]
• Governing Bodies of Cadet Colleges

Other agencies and departments

• Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC)
• Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)
• Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)
• Survey of Bangladesh (SOB)
• Department of Military Lands & Cantonments (DML&C)
• Department of Cipher
• Controller General of Defence Finance (CGDF)
• Office of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
• Ministry of Defence Constabulary (MODC)

Role and working

The functions of the MoD are:^[5]

• Protecting the sovereignty of Bangladesh.
• Defence Services of Bangladesh and Armed Forces attached to or operating with any of the Armed Forces of Bangladesh excluding planning, co-ordination and arrangement of mobilisation of the defence services on declaration of national emergency/war and co-ordination and control of the activities of the defence services when deployed in aid of civil administration.
• Army, Naval and Air Force Works
• Production of cypher documents
• Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (Produce ammunition and arms for Bangladesh Army)
• Matters related to International Red Cross and Geneva Conventions in so far as these affect belligerents
• Gallantry awards and decorations in respect of forces under its control
• Military Lands and Cantonments
• Meteorological Observations
• Pardons, reprieves and respites, etc., of all armed forces personnel
• National Services and Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC)
• Running the Cadet Colleges
• Matters relating to Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO)
• Civil Services paid from Defence Estimates
• Hydrographic Surveys and preparation of navigational charts (excluding Hydrographic surveys in the inland water of Bangladesh and preparation of charts for inland navigation)
• Survey of Bangladesh
• Budget legal and statutory matters of the Armed Forces
• Secretarial administration including financial matters
• Administration and control of subordinate offices and organisations under this ministry
• Liaison with International Organisations and matters relating to treaties and agreements with other countries and world bodies relating to subject allotted to this ministry
• All laws on subjects allotted to this ministry
• Inquires and statistics on any of the subjects allotted to this ministry.
• Fees in respect of any of the subjects allotted to this ministry except fees taken in courts

List of defence secretaries

Number	Name	Term start	Term end	Reference
1	Abdus Samad	18 December 1971	22 January 1972	[6]
2	Osman Gani Khan	22 January 1972	6 June 1973	[6]
3	Md. Mujibul Haque	6 June 1973	30 October 1975	[6]
4	Faiz Uddin Ahmed	4 November 1975	18 September 1978	[6]
5	ASHK Sadek	18 September 1978	21 April 1982	[6]
6	Salahuddin Ahmed	21 April 1982	1 October 1983	[6]
7	ASHK Sadek	1 November 1983	2 May 1985	[6]
8	A.M. Anisuzzaman	29 June 1985	23 June 1986	[6]
9	Kazi Jalal Uddin Ahmad	23 June 1986	1 January 1989	[6]
10	Md. Shamsul Haque Chishti	1 January 1989	9 January 1990	[6]
11	Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman	9 January 1990	25 April 1991	[6]
12	Anisur Rahman	25 April 1991	6 August 1992	[6]
13	M. A. Malek	1 September 1992	22 July 1993	[6]
14	Md. Hasinur Rahman	22 July 1993	11 March 1995	[6]
15	Md. Abdul Hakim	11 March 1995	31 July 1996	[6]
16	Kazi Muhammad Manzoor e Mawla	1 August 1996	30 September 1997	[6]
17	Syed Yusuf Hossain	14 July 1997	8 August 1999	[6]
18	M. Idris Ali	16 August 1999	1 December 2001	[6]
19	KM Ehsanul Haque Peyara	27 November 2001	5 August 2004	[6]
20	Mejbah Uddin Ahmed	11 August 2004	28 February 2006	[6]
21	Mahmud Hasan Mansoor	21 March 2006	8 June 2006	[6]
22	Abu Md. Moniruzzaman Khan	18 June 2006	8 January 2007	[6]
23	Kamrul Hasan	11 January 2007	8 February 2010	[6]
24	Khondoker Md. Asaduzzaman	7 February 2010	3 March 2014	[6]
25	Kazi Habibul Awal	3 March 2014	31 December 2016	[6]
26	Akhtar Hossain Bhuiyan	1 January 2017	30 December 2019	[6]
27	Abdullah al Mohsin Chowdhury	12 January 2020	29 June 2020	[6]
28	Md Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal	7 July 2020	7 February 2022	[6]