Staff Reporter :Lieutenant General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq ndc, psc has been appointed as the new Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army for next three years.President Abdul Hamid, Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, signed the order on Wednesday elevating Lt Gen Belal, who is Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division, to the new post.Lt Gen Belal will be the 15th Chief of Army Staff in the country. He will succeed General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, whose prevailing term as the Army Chief will end on June 25. According to office order signed by the President, Lieutenant General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq was also promoted as General to be effective from June 25 afternoon in line with the Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Service [tenure of appointment] Order, 1981. In another office order signed by the President, the incumbent Army Chief General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan has been sent into retirement with effect from 25 June.The Directorate of Inter Service Public Relations [ISPR] issued press statement about the appointment and retirement of two top army officers.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also in charge of Ministry of Defence, accepted the appointment, official sources said.Born in December 1958, Lieutenant General Belal [BA -1738] was commissioned in Armoured Corps on 18 June 1978 from Bangladesh Military Academy. He was adjudged as the best all round cadet of his batch and was awarded with “Sword of Honour for his outstanding performance in the Military Academy. His military education includes a variety of training courses, both at home and abroad on strategic studies, tactics, military science, weapon systems, UN Staff Procedure etc.In his 37-year career, Lt Gen Belal held a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments including the ADC to the President of Bangladesh. He was a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade and Chief of Staff of an Infantry Division. He was a member of the pioneer group of officers sent to UN peacekeeping mission from Bangladesh. He was an observer in UNIIMOG, Iraq during 1988/89 and Deputy Force Commander of UNMEE, Ethiopia and Eritrea, during 2006/2007.He obtained Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Dhaka and Master Degree on ‘Defense Studies’ from National University Bangladesh. He got Masters in Philosophy from Bangladesh University of Professionals. At present, he is doing PhD on Regional Connectivity under the same university.He is also a graduate of Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, Bangladesh and also Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavanworth, Kansas, USA. He attended National Defence Course and Capstone Course at NDC, Bangladesh.As an Instructor he served in Bangladesh Military Academy and as a Faculty including Chief Instructor in Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur. He commanded two Armour Units, three Brigades [One Armour and two Infantry] and two Divisions. He also served as Military Secretary and Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army. Besides, he was Commandant of Bangladesh Military Academy and Armoured Corps Centre and School and had a tour of duty as Director General of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies [BIISS].He is a keen golfer. He is married to Shoma Huq and the couple is blessed with a daughter and a son. He is also the younger brother of Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq.
