| The 49th Bengalee Regiment | |
|---|---|
| ৪৯তম বেঙ্গলি রেজিমেন্ট | |
 Cap badge of The 49th Bengalee Regiment | |
| Founded | 26 June 1917 |
| Disbanded | 30 August 1920 |
| Country |  British India |
| Allegiance |  British Empire |
| Branch |  British Indian Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 2 companies; each consisting of 228 soldiers |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort William, India |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Anniversaries | 26 June |
| Equipment | Lee–Enfield |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Regiment Commander | Lt. S. G. Taylor |
The 49th Bengalee Regiment (Bengali: ৪৯তম বেঙ্গলি রেজিমেন্ট), also known as The 49th Bengalee, 49th Bengal Infantry, Bengali Double Company, Bengali Platoon and Bangali Paltan (বাঙালি পল্টন), was a military unit of the British Indian Army raised during World War I with Lt. S. G. Taylor as the Regiment Commander.[1][2] In the beginning of the First World War, the army began to recruit many soldiers, non-combatants, and skilled and unskilled laborers from Bengal. In middle 1916, the British government decided to create a regiment of Bengali soldiers. At first, it was called Bengali Double Company.[3] These double companies, each consisting of 228 soldiers, were integrated into the British Indian Army. The Bengali Double Company raised the first Bengali battalion on 26 June 1917. It was named The 49th Bengalee Regiment or briefly The 49th Bengalee. It was disbanded in 1920.[2]
They fought in Mesopotamian campaign, and were stationed in Baghdad. After the end of World War I, they were used to crush a Kurdish rebellion in the Middle East. 63 soldiers in the unit died. Most of the recruits came from middle-class Bengali families. Notable soldiers in the unit included Khwaja Habibullah, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Ranadaprasad Saha and Mahbubul Alam.[4][5][6]
- ^ Nath, Ashok (2014). The British Indian Army: Virtue and Necessity. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 65–76. ISBN 9781443853965.
- ^ a b "Bangali Paltan - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Metro | Tears for subaltern". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Huq, Muhammad Lutful. "Bangali Paltan". Banglapedia. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
- ^ "Nazrul Islam: Forerunner of Muslim Renaissance in Bengal". Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan. Vol. 20. 26 May 1968. p. 8.
He [Kazi Nazrul Islam] joined ... the Bangali Paltan that was raised during the First World War.
- ^ Mostakim, Golam (October–December 2008). "Kazi Nazrul Islam: His Life and Works (1899-1976)". Bangladesh Quarterly. Vol. 29, no. 2. Department of Films & Publications, Government of Bangladesh. p. 66.