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General (Retd.) Moeen Uddin Ahmed | |
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মঈন উদ্দিন আহমেদ | |
12th Chief of Army Staff | |
In office 15 June 2005 – 15 June 2009 | |
President | |
Prime Minister |
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Preceded by | Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury |
Succeeded by | Md Abdul Mubeen |
Personal details | |
Born | Begumganj, East Bengal, Pakistan | 21 January 1953
Nationality | Bangladeshi |
Awards | Independence Day Award Shongbidhan Padak |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Bangladesh |
Branch/service | Bangladesh Army |
Years of service | 1975–2009 |
Rank | General |
Unit | East Bengal Regiment |
Commands |
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Battles/wars | |
Moeen Uddin Ahmed (Bengali: মঈন উদ্দিন আহমেদ; born 21 January 1953) is a former Bangladesh Army general and the 12th Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army from 15 June 2005 to 15 June 2009 with last one-year extension during the caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. He has worked in Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan as a Defence Attaché in the rank of brigadier, and previously served as a UN Peacekeeper in United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda as a colonel in 1995.
Moeen Uddin Ahmed is the first army chief of staff who was commissioned in the newly formed Bangladesh Military Academy then at Comilla (now at Chittagong). He is the first regular four-star general after the liberation war, although the first official four-star general was the country's commander-in-chief M. A. G. Osmani, leading the war of independence in 1971, and the second person was Lieutenant-General Mustafizur Rahman who was promoted to full general on the day of his retirement on 23 December 2000.
Moeen was, behind the scenes, the main actor, although unlawfully, as the Chief of Army Staff during the 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis, violating constitution.[1][2] Although the Caretaker Government had gone beyond its constitutional 3 months period it is credited for some remarkable changes like the introduction of a national identity card, activation of an anti-corruption bureau which was later given additional power and status as a commission. This military-backed government is also credited for paving the way towards independent judiciary by implementing relevant 'Mazdar Hussain Case' and forming independent judicial appointments commission. Initially, Bangladeshis were generally happy for the sense relief it gave after unprecedented anarchy on the streets of major cities but soon people started to be suspicious about the intention or objective of the government. Events like General Moeen's publication of books on politics or patronizing a political party led by Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi were not received positively at a backdrop of delivering effort in terminating the political career of former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. He is also criticised for his failure to prevent 2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt, which killed 56 Army officers and 17 civilians.