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Information About

East Bengal Regiment





HISTORY

It was formed in 1948 following India's independence from Britain . As part of the agreement, the Muslim population were given their own state of Pakistan , made up of West Pakistan and East Pakistan . The infantry of the new Pakistan Army was made up exclusively of men from the main, west part of the country. As a consequence, it was necessary to raise a regiment in the east; so two Companies of Bengal i pioneers from the Bihar Regiment were regimented into the 1st Battalion, East Bengal Regiment, with the 2nd Battalion being formed soon after. Between 1948 and 1971 , a total of eight battalions were raised, with the 5th, 6th and 7th in West Pakistan .

In March 1971 , in response to a crackdown on locals in East Pakistan, the five battalions of the East Bengal Regiment mutinied and initiated the Bangladesh War Of Liberation . The East Bengal Regiment formed the core of the liberation forces, which became known as the Mukti Bahini . Further units were raised to replace those that remained stranded in West Pakistan. Following the foundation of Bangladesh , these units formed the core of the new army. However, the 7th Battalion was incorporated as 44th Battalion, Frontier Force Regiment in the Pakistan Army , which led to the raising of the 10th Battalion in 1971 .


ROLE

The East Bengal Regiment is the largest formation of the army, with battalions in each of the fifteen infantry Brigades . The regiment also provides three battalions to Bangladesh's Peacekeeping commitments overseas, as Bangladesh is one of the largest providers to the UN .

  • UNOCI

  • ---36th Battalion, East Bengal Regiment

  • ---38th Battalion, East Bengal Regiment

  • UNMIL

  • ---40th Battalion, East Bengal Regiment