Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman appointed new army chief
Waker-Uz-Zaman currently serves as the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army. He will be promoted to the rank of General and take over the role of the chief of the army
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman has been appointed the chief of the Bangladesh Army for a three-year term effective from 23 June, according to a release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today.
Waker-Uz-Zaman currently serves as the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army. He will be promoted to the rank of General and take over the role of the chief of the army.
Before assuming the duties of the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army on 1 January this year, he served as the principal staff officer to the prime minister in the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister's Office.
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An alumnus of Bangladesh Military Academy, he was commissioned in the Corps of Infantry on 20 December 1985.
Having an illustrious career of more than three and a half decades, Waker brings enormous experience in holding key command, staff, and instructional appointments, the ISPR said.
Waker commanded an Infantry Battalion, the only Independent Infantry Brigade of the Bangladesh Army and an Infantry Division in his distinguished military career.
His key staff appointments include staff officer at an Infantry Brigade, School of Infantry and Tactics, and Army Headquarters. He was a distinguished instructor at The School of Infantry and Tactics, Non-commissioned Officers' Academy and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training.
Lieutenant General Waker served as the military secretary in Army Headquarters.
Waker is an alumnus of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, and Joint Services Command and Staff College, UK.
He holds a Master's degree in Defence Studies from the National University of Bangladesh and a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King's College, University of London.
As the Armed Forces Division head, he was directly involved with the UN Peacekeeping Affairs of Bangladesh Armed Forces. He was also nominated as a gender champion and gender advocate of Bangladesh for UN Peacekeeping Affairs.
By his appointment as a principal staff officer, he also headed the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention as chairman.
Under the Blue Helmet, Lieutenant General Waker completed two tours of duty as an observer and staff in UNAVEM (Angola) and UNMIL (Liberia) respectively.
As the Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army, he has been responsible for military operations, military intelligence, UN peacekeeping affairs, budget, and many other affairs of the army.
Lieutenant General Waker had the rare privilege of commanding the National Victory Day Parade three consecutive times.
He was awarded the coveted "Army Medal of Glory (SGP)" and "Extraordinary Service Medal (OSP)" for his remarkable contributions to the modernisation of the army.
He frequents as a keynote speaker in different seminars and symposiums both at home and abroad. He enjoys games and sports.
He is married to Sarahnaz Kamalika Zaman and blessed with two daughters – Samiha Raisa Zaman and Shayeera Ibnat Zaman.
