The principal staff officer, abbreviated as PSO, is the head of the Armed Forces Division, a ministry level joint forces headquarters under Prime Minister's Office. It acts as the high command of the national armed forces. It is currently held by a three-star rank lieutenant general.
| Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
since 21 August 2024 | |
| Bangladesh Armed Forces | |
| Type | Senior Secretary of the Armed Forces Division |
| Abbreviation | PSO |
| Reports to |  Prime Minister Ministry of Defence |
| Seat | Prime Minister's Office |
| Appointer | Prime Minister |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Formation | 1972 |
| First holder | Brigadier General Abul Hasanat Md Abdullah |
| Website | Official website |
Role and functions
editThe principal staff officer is the head of Armed Forces Division, which is part of the Prime Minister's Office. He is assisted by a PS (acting PSO) and five departmental heads each one star rank military officer from Bangladesh Armed Forces.[1]
Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Prime Minister he has the authority, direction, and control over all operational and administrative services. He also, as per government notification, performs the duties of a full-fledged secretary with full administrative and financial authority as that of a secretary in any other division or ministry.
Appointees
editThe following table chronicles the appointees to the office of principal staff officer.
| Portrait | Principal Staff Officer | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigadier General Abul Hasanat Md Abdullah | 1972 | 1975 | 3–4 years | [2] | |
| Major General Nurul Islam Shishu | 19 January 1976 | 11 December 1980 | 4 years, 327 days | [3] | |
| Lieutenant General Mir Shawkat Ali (1938–2010) | 12 December 1980 | 30 June 1985 | 4 years, 200 days | [4] | |
| Major General Imamuzzaman Chowdhury | 18 December 1990 | 11 September 1996 | 5 years, 268 days | ||
| Major General Abdus Salam (born 1942) | 15 September 1996 | 10 January 1999 | 2 years, 117 days | [5] | |
| Major General Shubid Ali Bhuiyan (born 1945) | 12 January 1999 | 12 April 2004 | 5 years, 91 days | [6] | |
| Major General A. I. M. Mostofa Reza Nur Psc | 12 April 2004 | 6 June 2006 | 2 years, 55 days | ||
| Major General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury Ndc, psc (born 1953) | 8 June 2006 | 5 June 2007 | 362 days | [7] | |
| Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury Ndu, psc (born 1954) | 5 June 2007 | 2 June 2008 | 363 days | [8] | |
| Lieutenant General Md Abdul Mubeen Ndc, psc (born 1955) | 4 June 2008 | 12 June 2009 | 1 year, 8 days | [9] | |
| Lieutenant General Abdul Wadud Ndc, psc | 13 June 2009 | 1 January 2013 | 3 years, 203 days | ||
| Lieutenant General Shafiul Huq Ndc, psc (born 1958) | 1 January 2013 | 24 June 2015 | 2 years, 174 days | ||
| Lieutenant General Mainul Islam Afwc, psc (born 1959) | 1 July 2015 | 31 January 2016 | 214 days | [10] | |
| Lieutenant General Md Mahfuzur Rahman Rcds, ndc, afwc, psc, PhD (born 1961) | 1 February 2016 | 24 November 2020 | 4 years, 298 days | [11] | |
| Lieutenant General Waker-uz-Zaman (born 1966) | 24 November 2020 | 29 December 2023 | 3 years, 35 days | [12] | |
| Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim (born 1968) | 29 December 2023 | 6 August 2024 | 221 days | ||
| Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan | 21 August 2024 | present | 4 days |
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References
edit- ^ Division, Armed Forces. "Officer's in AFD". www.afd.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
- ^ "History of AFD". Armed Forces Division. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
- ^ Ahmed, Moudud (1995). Democracy and the Challenge of Development: A Study of Politics and Military Interventions in Bangladesh. Vikas Publishing House. p. 142. ISBN 0706997263.
- ^ Hossain, Urmee (2012). "Ali, Lt General Mir Shawkat". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ Khanam, Rashida (2008). The Nature of Legitimacy and the Crisis of Bangladesh Politics 1972-1990. A H Development Publishing House. p. 244.
- ^ "Bio". Shubid Ali Bhuiyan. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ^ Ved, Mahendra (June 2007). "Bangladesh upgrades Top Brass". India Strategic. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
- ^ "Gen Masud made NDC chief in army changes". bdnews24.com. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ^ "Lt Gen Mubin new army chief". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
- ^ "Lt Gen Moinul Islam takes over as new Armed Forces Division PSO". bdnews24.com. 1 July 2015.
- ^ "Lt Gen Mahfuzur Rahman appointed as new Armed Forces Division PSO". bdnews24.com. 1 February 2016.
- ^ "Lieutenant General Wakar made PSO". New Age. 30 November 2020.