Lt Col Mohammad Anisuzzaman, PhD, AEC :
Civil-Military Relations (CMR) focuses on the relationship between the military and civilian society in a country. Not only does sound CMR help ensure national security from external threats, but it also represents the dynamics that foster mutual respect and understanding, leading to a society cultivated by illuminated, intellectual, and patriotic minds. Since its inception in 1971, CMR has waxed and waned a few times but the Bangladesh Army has been involved in various civic actions to bridge the gap in CMR. Over the past couple of years, there has been a growing emphasis on the dissemination of education to strengthen CMR. On 30 January 2025, the Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army asked the concerned authority to double the capacity of the army-run schools and colleges to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.
Political scientist Peter Feaver (1999) argues that civil-military relations involve more than just the interaction between civilian leaders and senior military officials. It encompasses all relationships between the military and society at every level, from local communities to national political bodies. In essence, civil-military relations include both civilian and military perspectives. In Bangladesh, key players in these relations are the military, politicians, bureaucrats, civil society, intellectuals, the general public, student groups and the media.
Bangladesh got off to a flying start in its civil-military relations in 1971 as then both the military and the civilians fought together for the independence of their motherland. Since then, the Bangladesh Army put all-out efforts to ensure effective and smooth civil-military relations by dint of multiple areas of interest. Of them, education became crucial in fostering understanding and cooperation between the military and the civilian.
To effectuate CMR, the Bangladesh Army has undertaken the responsibility to spread the light of education upholding the constitutional policy of providing the people with quality education to produce trained and motivated citizens to address the needs of the society. Here, it is relevant to note that Article seventeen of the constitution asserts that the State shall adopt effective measures for: (a) establishing a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stages as may be determined by law; (b) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs; (c) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.
It is worth mentioning that the Bangladesh Army is right away operating sixty-three cantonment public schools and colleges, one public university, twelve cadet colleges, four engineering universities and institutes, six medical colleges, two IBAs, and specialized schools (Proyash) situated at ten different cantonments for the children with special needs. All these institutions of high repute have a large bevy of the workforce including the faculty, pupils, staff, guardians and many more.
The number of people involved in the army-administered educational institutions is comprehensive to substantiate the magnitude of the undertaking of the military to foster civil-military relations.Directorate of Education, Army Headquarters’ December 2024 updates maintain that the English Medium Cantonment Public Schools and Colleges have 1,026 teachers who educate 21,234 students, alongside a staff of 813. Likewise, the Bangla Medium Cantonment Public Schools and Colleges have 4,115 teachers for 1,35,106 students, along with a workforce of 2,789.
The Bangladesh Army Journal (2022) indicates that Cadet Colleges employ 392 educators who instruct a total of 3,690 students, supported by a staff of 1,886. In addition, the Cantonment Board Schools and Colleges have 1,171 teachers serving 46,773 students, with a staff of 1,473. Furthermore, twelve Specialized Educational Institutions, Proyash, consists of 347 teachers who provide education to 1,885 students, accompanied by a staff of 229. Also, Medical and Nursing Colleges have 411 teachers for 2,432 students, supported by a staff of 822. The Bangladesh University of Professionals employs 190 teachers for 9,119 students, with a staff of 858. The Military Institute of Science and Technology, three Bangladesh Army University of Engineering and Technology and two Army Institutes of Business Administration together have 590 teachers serving 14,687 students, along with a staff of 1,658.
The army-run educational institutions every year churn out a huge number of students who are truly educated and upskilled. They embark on higher study at home and abroad, get into professional life and eventually, become assimilated into the civil society. This large number of students along with their parents and acquaintances work in the civil society as the ambassadors of the military, giving strength to CMR. The Directorate of Education, Army Headquarters’ December 2024 updates of army-run school and colleges’ SSC and HSC examinations are notable to authenticate the number of students who get back to the civilian society a year. In the Bangla Medium Cantonment Public Schools and Colleges, the number of students who passed the SSC examination has increased over the years.
The Bangladesh Army’s educational institutions, ranging from pre-primary levels to universities, have become a hub comprising huge ignited minds who are initiating and spreading the aroma of civil-military relations ceaselessly to strengthen the bond between the military and the civilian mass. In the institutions, the learners acquire a high sense of morality, responsibility, integrity, leadership quality, discipline, patriotism as well as knowledge. Also, they are equipped with essential etiquette and manners to foster mutual respect and respect the diversity of human beings to establish a good rapport with others.
The faculty working in these institutions are continually in touch with the visions and insights of the military leadership by dint of various in-service training programs, seminars and symposiums. Thus, they get access to the know-how of the military and gradually become the players of CMR. Likewise, the guardians who are mostly civilians get in touch with the decorum and manners of the military establishment, have interactions and build lasting relationships that eventually accelerate the CMR. CMR fostered by the Bangladesh Army through its unmatched and reputed educational institutions is vitally utile not only in protecting the country from external threats but also in extending hands in nation-building activities in need of the country.
As has been demonstrated above, CMR puts emphasis on the relationship between the military and their host societies for the sake of the country’s security and prosperity. The Chief of Army Staff has rightfully accentuated to redouble the volume of the army-run educational institutions in order to foster CMR, imparting the light of education. The Bangladesh Army operates a good number of educational institutions with a bevy of trained faculty, students, staff and guardians to promote civil-military relations imparting knowledge, decorum, insights and skills to the civilians so that they can stand by the military in the time of providing a safeguard to the country from external threats and working shoulder to shoulder with the military in nation-building activities.
(The author is Instructor, Grade A, Bangladesh Military Academy
Ex-Principal, Jolshiri Cantonment School and College & Ramu Cantonment Public School and college Contact :01716429446)
