The government has appointed Ataul Hakim Sarwar Hasan, the vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Professionals, as commandant of National Defence College by promoting him to lieutenant from major general.
A top official in the government confirmed the development to bdnews24.com on Thursday.
General Hasan is succeeding Lt Gen Sheikh Mamun Khaled, who retired earlier this month.
The new NDC commandant’s promotion will be effective from the day of joining his new workplace.
General Hasan was appointed as the VC of BUP in March.
Born in Old Dhaka and grew up in Tejkunipara, Farmgate, he passed SSC examinations from University Laboratory School in 1980 and HSC from Dhaka College in 1982, according to his profile on the BUP website.
General Hasan was commissioned in the Corps of Infantry on in December 1984. He holds a PhD degree in security studies from Jahangirnagar University.
He obtained three master’s degrees in Defence Studies (National University), War Studies (BUP) and Security Studies (BUP).
He is a graduate of Defence Services Command and Staff College of Bangladesh and Staff College of Brazil.
He completed Portuguese Language Course from Language Institute of Rio de Janeiro.
He completed the Armed Forces War Course in 2004 and National Defence Course in 2013.
The general has been commanding officer of an infantry battalion and commander of two infantry brigades.
He was founding GOC of the 10 Infantry Division at Ramu, Cox’s Bazar. As GOC, he also commanded Logistics Area, Dhaka Cantonment and 55 Infantry Division, Jashore Area.
General Hasan served as staff officer at the Army Headquarters. He worked as ‘Strategic Planner’ in the Combined Planning Group of United States Central Command Headquarters (USCENTCOM), Tampa, USA.
He has the experience of serving as colonel staff of an Infantry Division. He served as the director of the Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence Bureau of Defence Services Forces Intelligence.
He also served as the director general, Operations and Plan at Armed Forces Division.
The general has served as an instructor at the Tactics Wing of the School of Infantry and Tactics.
He was also a directing staff at the Defence Services Command and Staff College.
General Hasan served as commandant of Bangladesh Infantry Regimental Centre, entrusted to train and groom the officers and soldiers of Infanty, ‘teeth’ arms of Bangladesh Army.
Wearing blue beret, he served as Senior Operations Officer in the United Nations Guards Contingent in Iraq (UNGCI).
He participated in Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and International Conference in the United Kingdom and Australia in 2011; ICRC Seminar in Bhutan in 2012; and Regional Conference on Chemical Weapon Convention in Nepal in 2012.
The general also participated in the Exercise Eagle Determination/Resolve 2015 in Kuwait. He attended The Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium in Hawaii, US in 2017.
His wife Farzana Hasan is a senior teacher at Shaheed Anwar Girls’ School and College. They have two sons.