# 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.

## 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.

## Agencies and departments under the Ministry of Defence

The list of agencies and departments under the Ministry of Defence of Bangladesh are given below:

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