Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh)
| Chief of Air Staff | |
|---|---|
| বিমান বাহিনী প্রধান | |
Emblem | |
Flag of the Chief of Air Staff | |
since 12 June 2024 | |
| Bangladesh Air Force | |
| Type | Bangladesh Air Force service chief |
| Abbreviation | COAS |
| Member of | National Committee on Security Affairs |
| Reports to | President Chief Adviser |
| Residence | Air House, Dhaka Cantonment |
| Seat | Air Force Headquarters, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka |
| Appointer | The Prime Minister with President advice and consent |
| Term length | 3 years, |
| Constituting instrument | Air Force Act, 1953 of (Act No. VI of 1953) |
| Formation | 7 April 1972 |
| First holder | Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandker |
| Salary | ৳160000 (US$1,300) per month (incl. allowances) |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of Air Staff (abbreviated as COAS) (Bengali: বিমান বাহিনী প্রধান, romanized: Bimān bāhinī prôdhān) is the professional head and highest-ranking commissioned officer of the Bangladesh Air Force. The Chief of Air Staff is responsible for the overall command, administration, training, and operational readiness of the air force, and serves as the principal air adviser to the Government of Bangladesh on matters of air defence and aerospace security.[1]
The office is held by an officer with the rank of Air Chief Marshal and is appointed by the President of Bangladesh on the advice of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The Chief of Air Staff is a senior member of the Armed Forces Division and plays a key role in safeguarding national airspace, supporting joint military operations, disaster response, and participation in international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.[2][3][4] Prior to 2016, from 2007 the appointment was held by an Air Marshal (three-star air officer) and from 1972 to 2007 COAS's rank was Air Vice Marshal.[5][6]
List of Chiefs of Air Staff
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Air Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Vice Marshal Abdul Karim Khandker BU, psa (1930–2025) | April 7, 1972 | October 15, 1975 | 3 years, 191 days | – | |
| 2 | Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ghulam Tawab SJ, SBT, psa (1930–1999) | October 15, 1975 | April 30, 1976 | 198 days | – | |
| 3 | Air Vice Marshal Khademul Bashar BU, TBT (1935–1976) | May 1, 1976 | September 1, 1976 † | 123 days | – | |
| 4 | Air Vice Marshal A. G. Mahmud TBT, psa (born 1934) | September 5, 1976 | December 8, 1977 | 1 year, 94 days | – | |
| 5 | Air Vice Marshal Sadruddin Mohammad Hossain BP (born 1941) | December 9, 1977 | July 22, 1981 | 3 years, 225 days | – | |
| 6 | Air Vice Marshal Sultan Mahmud BU (1944–2023) | July 23, 1981 | July 22, 1987 | 5 years, 364 days | – | |
| 7 | Air Vice Marshal Momtaz Uddin Ahmed psc (1941–2019) | July 23, 1987 | June 4, 1991 | 3 years, 316 days | – | |
| 8 | Air Vice Marshal Altaf Hossain Chowdhury ndu, psc (born 1941) | June 4, 1991 | June 3, 1995 | 3 years, 364 days | – | |
| 9 | Air Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed ndc, bems, psc (born 1943) | June 4, 1995 | June 3, 2001 | 5 years, 364 days | – | |
| 10 | Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Rafiqul Islam ndu, psc | June 4, 2001 | April 8, 2002 | 308 days | – | |
| 11 | Air Vice Marshal Fakhrul Azam ndc, psc | April 8, 2002 | April 7, 2007 | 4 years, 364 days | – | |
| 12 | Air Marshal Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rahman ndc, fawc, psc (born 1955) | April 8, 2007 | June 12, 2012 | 5 years, 66 days | – | |
| 13 | Air Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari BBP, ndu, psc | June 13, 2012 | June 12, 2015 | 2 years, 364 days | – | |
| 14 | Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar BBP, ndc, acsc (born 1961) | June 12, 2015 | June 12, 2018 | 3 years, 0 days | – | |
| 15 | Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat BBP, OSP, ndu, psc (born 1962) | June 12, 2018 | June 12, 2021 | 3 years, 0 days | – | |
| 16 | Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan BBP, BUP, nswc, fawc, psc (born 1963) | June 12, 2021 | June 11, 2024 | 2 years, 365 days | [7] | |
| 17 | Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan BBP, OSP, GUP, nswc, psc (born 1966) | June 12, 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 282 days | [8] |
See also
- List of serving air marshals of the Bangladesh Air Force
- Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)
- Chief of Naval Staff (Bangladesh)
- Awards and decorations of the Bangladesh Armed Forces
References
- ^ "Chief of Air Staff". Bangladesh Air Force. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "Chief of Air Staff Adorned with Air Marshal Rank". 13 June 2021.
- ^ "BN, BAF chiefs rank upgraded". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "New Air Force chief Abu Esrar gets rank of Air Marshal". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ "Navy, BAF chiefs' rank upgraded". Daily Sun. 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Ranks of BN, BAF chiefs upgraded". Dhaka Tribune.
- ^ "Chief of Air Staff Adorned with Air Marshal Rank". 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Hasan Mahmood Khan appointed new Air Chief". The Business Standard. 27 May 2024.
External links
- Media related to Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh) at Wikimedia Commons