The Presidential Parade organized to mark the commissioning of the 86th long-term course officer cadets of the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) was held on Thursday (June 6) at the BMA Parade Ground in Chittagong.
Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed attended the event as the chief guest and inspected the parade and saluted the parade. Besides he distributed prizes among meritorious cadets. A total of 181 officer cadets were commissioned in the 86th BMA Long Term Course.
The Army Chief reminded the directional historic speech of the greatest Bengali father of the nation to the cadets who completed the training and said that through this oath taking, the newly commissioned officers are entrusted with the sacred responsibility of protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country.
General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed expressed his confidence to make this army built by the father of the nation as a trained, disciplined and modern armed force. He expressed his sincere thanks to the commandant of the academy, all concerned officers, JCOs, NCOs, soldiers and civil servants for the magnificent parade.
A total of 181 officer cadets of the 86th BMA Long Term Course received their commissions through this magnificent parade after three years of rigorous military training. There are 142 male and 38 female commissioned officers in the Bangladesh Army. Besides, among the commissioned officers is a Sri Lankan officer who will join the army of his country.
Battalion Senior Under Officer. Parvez Ahmed Jai, 86th BMA Long Course Best Cadet Awarded the prestigious ‘Sword of Honour’ and ‘Army Chief Gold Medal’ for excellence in military affairs.
Besides, Sri Lankan officer cadet Hettiarachchi Prabhat Chamara de Silva was awarded the Bangladesh-India Friendship Trophy as the best foreign officer cadet. Later the cadets who completed the training took a formal oath to protect the independence and sovereignty of the country. After that, the guests and the parents and guardians of the graduating cadets put on the rank badges of the new officers.
At the beginning of the ceremony, when the Chief of Army Staff arrived at the BMA Parade Ground, he was received by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Army Training and Doctrine Command, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 24 Infantry Division and Area Commander Chittagong Area and Commandant of Bangladesh Military Academy.
Sierra Leone Armed Forces Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Peter Kakowu Lavahun, Royal Saudi Armed Forces King Abdulaziz Military Academy Commandant Brigadier General Naif Awad A. Almutaiti, Tanzania Military Academy Commandant Brigadier General Jackson Jarris Mwaseba, Zambia Military Training Establishment Commandant Brigadier General Haydon Mwilu, Maldives College of Defense and Security Studies Head of Military Institute Colonel Ahmed Shamin, senior military and civilian officers and parents of newly commissioned officers and Parents were present and witnessed the colorful parade.
TT/MHR/JIM
