Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday set clear guidelines for the promotion of army officers, stressing professional competence, integrity, and leadership as key criteria.
Inaugurating the Army Headquarters Selection Board 2025 at the Bangladesh Army Headquarters, Dr Yunus directed that promotions must be based strictly on merit, not political considerations.
The board will decide on promotions from the ranks of colonel and lieutenant colonel.
Yunus told board members to prioritise candidates’ professional excellence, discipline, leadership ability, loyalty, and moral integrity in their assessments. Officers who demonstrate honesty, dedication, and principled service, regardless of their political beliefs, are those who deserve promotion, he said.
“The army’s strength lies in capable leadership at every level. Those who have shown real leadership in their duties should be recognised and advanced,” the Chief Adviser remarked.
He also acknowledged the Bangladesh Army’s vital contributions beyond its military role — including its efforts in disaster response, internal stability, and support to civil administration. Dr Yunus expressed gratitude to all members of the armed forces, from the Chief of Army Staff to rank-and-file soldiers, for their service in protecting the nation’s sovereignty and maintaining stability.
At the start of the event, Dr Yunus paid tribute to the martyrs, wounded veterans, and freedom fighters of the Liberation War, with special mention of fallen members of the Armed Forces and those injured or killed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the July uprising.
Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman welcomed the Chief Adviser to the event and thanked him for formally inaugurating the board.
Senior military and civil officials attended the ceremony, which concluded with a group photo and the Chief Adviser signing the visitors’ book.