Armoured Corps (Bangladesh)

Armoured Corps
Active	1972–present
Country	Bangladesh
Branch	Bangladesh Army
Type	Armoured warfare
Role	Primary armoured combat arm of Bangladesh Army
Headquarters	Army Headquarters, Dhaka Cantonment

Armoured Corps is the armoured warfare branch of the Bangladesh Army. It is one of the Army's principal combat arms and falls under the 'Armoured Corps' administrative branch.^[1]

The Bangladesh Army raised its first tier‑one tank regiment, the 1st Bengal Lancers, in 1974. It was equipped with about thirty Egyptian-donated T‑54 main battle tanks and remained the only dedicated armoured unit for several years.^[2] The regiment played a central role in the 15 August 1975 coup, which resulted in the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and several senior leaders.^[3]

The Armoured Corps is administered directly by Army Headquarters. Each of the ten infantry divisions typically embeds at least one armoured regiment. In addition, independent formations such as the 93rd Armoured Brigade based at Bogura Cantonment support mechanised operations.^[4][5] Training, promotion, and doctrine are coordinated through the Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S) at Majhira Cantonment, Bogura.^[6]

The ACC&S delivers basic and advanced armoured tactics training for both commissioned and non‑commissioned officers. It also hosts the annual Armoured Corps Commandant's Conference: the 44th conference was conducted on 20 January 2025, with Chief of Army Staff General Waker‑uz‑Zaman presiding.^[7]

Under the **Forces Goal 2030** programme, the Armoured Corps has undergone a broad fleet modernisation:

• 174 **Type 59G "Durjoy"** tanks (locally upgraded Chinese Type 59s).
• 58 **Type 69IIG** upgraded tanks.^[8]

In addition, the Corps acquired:

• 44 **MBT‑2000 (VT‑1A)** main battle tanks (procured in 2011 and delivered by 2014);
• 44 **VT‑5** light tanks (contract signed in 2019, delivered by 2021).^[9]

Mechanised infantry units also operate with BTR‑80 armoured personnel carriers, Otokar Cobra light armoured vehicles, and MaxxPro MRAPs.^[10][11]

Bangladesh began contributing troops to UN missions in 1988, including mechanised contingents and armoured support. Armoured Corps personnel and vehicles have been deployed in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.^[12] As of 2024, Bangladesh was the world's top troop‑contributing nation, with UN officials and media commending its contingents as the "cream of UN peacekeepers".^[13]

Forces Goal 2030 also envisions:

• The creation of three corps commands (Central, Eastern, Western);
• Raising three new infantry divisions (10th at Ramu, 17th at Sylhet, 7th at Barishal-Patuakhali);
• Upgrading remaining infantry battalions into mechanised formations with integrated armoured support.^[14][15]

• 1st Bengal Lancers – as the first armoured regiment of Bangladesh, it played a historic, if controversial, role in national politics and remains a significant part of Corps heritage.^[16]

• Bangladesh Army
• Forces Goal 2030
• Armoured warfare