Belal Shafiul Huq
Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Haq (born 1 December 1958) is a Bangladesh army general and the chief of staff of the Bangladesh Army, in office from 25 June 2015 to 25 June 2018.[1] Before his tenure as chief of staff he served as the Principal Staff Officer of Prime Minister's Office of the Armed Forces Division.[2] He has also served as an Aide-de-Camp to the President of Bangladesh.[3] He was commissioned into the armored corps of the Bangladesh Army in June 1978.[4]
General (Retd.) Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq | |
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আবু বেলাল মোঃ শফিউল হক | |
Haque in February 2017 | |
Chief of Army Staff | |
In office 26 June 2015 – 25 June 2018 | |
President | Abdul Hamid |
Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
Preceded by | General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan |
Succeeded by | General Aziz Ahmed |
Personal details | |
Born | 1 December 1958 Brahmanbaria, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) |
Alma mater | |
Awards | 'Sword of Honor' from Bangladesh Military Academy in 1978 |
Military service | |
Allegiance | |
Branch/service | |
Years of service | 1978 – 2018 |
Rank | |
Unit | Armored Corps |
Commands | 33rd Infantry Division, Comilla 19th Infantry Division, Tangail Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Chief Instructor of Defense Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur |
Battles/wars | UNIIMOG UNMEE |
Early life
Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq was born on 1 December 1958 in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.[5] He passed Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from Dinajpur Zilla School in 1972. Belal obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dhaka University and master's degree on ‘Defense Studies’ from National University Bangladesh and Masters in Philosophy from Bangladesh University of Professionals. His brother Annisul Huq was elected Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation in April 2015.[6]
Military career
ABM Huq received formal education from Dhaka University and afterward attended Bangladesh Military Academy. After completion of training, he was commissioned in Bengal Cavalry on 18 June 1978. He was adjudged as the best all round cadet of his batch and was awarded Sword of Honor (an award given to the best meritorious cadet in Bangladeshi military forces). In a distinguished career spanning 40 years, Huq has held a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments. As a staff, he served as the 'Aide-De-camp' (ADC) to the President of Bangladesh, Brigade Major (BM) of an Infantry Brigade and Colonel Staff of an Infantry Division. He commanded two tank units, three brigades (one armored and two infantry) and two divisions (19th and 33rd). He also served as Military Secretary and Adjutant General of the army.[7]
UN missions
From 1988 to 1989, Shafiul Huq served as a Military Observer with the United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG). Huq was appointed Deputy Force Commander and Chief Military Observer of UNMEE on 4 January 2007.
Personal life
Huq is married to Shoma Huq. They have a son named Marzuq, and a daughter.[8] Anisul Huq, the first mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation is his brother.[9] His father Shariful Huq was the former director of Bangladesh Ansar and took retirement in 1982.
Retirement
Belal retired from the army with effect from 25 June 2018.[1]
Honours
Uttoron Padak Medal | Independence Day Award Medal | Cyclone Relief of 1991 Medal | 1991 National Election Medal |
1996 National Election Medal | 2001 National Election Medal | Silver Jubilee Medal | 27 years service |
20 years service | 10 years service | UNIIMOG Medal | UNMEE Medal |
References
- "Lt Gen Aziz Ahmed takes charge as Army chief". theindependentbd.com. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- "Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq made army chief". newagebd. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Lieutenant General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, ndc, psc". afd.gov.bd. Armed Forces Division. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Brigadier General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq". United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Chief of Army Staff". Bangladesh Army. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017.
- "Lt Gen Abu Belal Shafiul Huq new army chief". daily-industry.com. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- "Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, ndc, psc". afd.gov.bd. Armed Forces Division. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- "Lt Gen Belal new Army Chief". thedailynewnation.com. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- "Mayor Annisul Huq loses battle, dies in London hospital". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
External links
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan |
Chief of Army Staff 2015 – 2018 |
Succeeded by Aziz Ahmed |
Preceded by Abdul Wadud |
Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division 2013 – 2015 |
Succeeded by Md Mainul Islam |
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