66th Infantry Division (Bangladesh)

The 66th Infantry Division (Bengali: ৬৬ পদাতিক ডিভিশন) is a formation of the Bangladesh Army based in Rangpur Cantonment.^[1]

66th Infantry Division
Insignia of 66th Infantry Division
Active	1977–present
Country	Bangladesh
Branch	Bangladesh Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ	Rangpur Cantonment
Nickname(s)	Defenders of the Strategic North
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Kamrul Hasan
Notable commanders	Major General Zahirul Alam Major General Sabbir Ahmed Major General Shakil Ahmed Major General Salahuddin Miaji
Insignia
Division flag

History

In 1966, Lieutenant General Yaqub Khan of Pakistan Army proposed a new infantry division to be ameliorate at then northern East Pakistan. Then commander in chief General Yahya Khan rejected the proposal, instead transferred the newly formed 23rd Infantry Brigade of then 14th Infantry Division (headquartered at Dacca) to Rangpur, with some components of engineers, signals battalion and East Pakistan Rifles stationed at Dinajpur and Nilphamari. Pakistan army surrendered the installation on 18 December 1971.^[2] The 72nd Independent Infantry brigade established on 26 February 1972 in Rangpur Cantonment under Colonel Chitta Ranjan Dutta.^[3] It was then annexed in and ameliorated as an infantry division on 1977 with the inclusion of 222nd Infantry Brigade formed at Saidpur and 66th Artillery Brigade in Dinajpur. Major General Amzad Ahmed Chowdhury was appointed as the first general officer commanding. The 16th Infantry Brigade was formed at Kholahati on January 2006. Major General Faizur Rahman, then commander of the division oversaw the maneuver exercise at Swarna Dweep, Chittagong on 2022.^[4]

Formation

Under the division there is three infantry brigade, one artillery brigade, and one armoured regiment.^{[citation needed]}

Combat Arms

• Cavalry
  • 7th Horse Regiment
• Regiment of Artillery
  • 66th Artillery Brigade
• Infantry
  • 16th Infantry Brigade
  • 72nd Infantry Brigade
  • 222nd Infantry Brigade
    • 6th Bangladesh Infantry Regiment
    • 10th Bangladesh Infantry Regiment
    • 21st Bangladesh Infantry Regiment
• Signals
  • 11th Brigade Signal Company

Service

• 33rd Field Workshop Company

References

1. "Cantonment Locations". Bangladesh Army. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
2. Shafiullah, K. M. (1989). Bangladesh at War. Dhaka: 978-984-08-0109-1. p. 32. ISBN 978-984-08-0109-1.
3. Rina Akter Tuli (11 December 2012). মেজর জেনারেল চিত্তরঞ্জন দত্ত (সি আর দত্ত) [Major General Chitta Ranjan Dutta (CR Dutta)]. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Retrieved 6 January 2013.
4. "Army chief attended armed forces' joint manoeuvre exercise". The Business Standard. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-25.