1st Bengal Lancers (Bangladesh)

February 2026 1st Bengal Lancers 1974-1976August 2025 Bangladesh 25px Bangladesh Army 25px Tank regiment Dhaka Cantonment 30 T-54 Tanks 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état First Siege of Dhaka 7 November 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état Colonel Momen (officially) Sayed Farooq-ur-Rahman (de-facto) The 1st Bengal Lancers was the Bangladesh Army's first tank regiment. It is famous for being the main force behind the 15 August 1975 coup, which resulted in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib and his family.Mascarenhas Anthony Bangladesh: a legacy of blood 1986 Hodder and Stoughton 978-0-340-39420-5 London Formation After the Bangladesh Liberation War, the newly formed Bangladesh Army was short staffed and had only inherited a few obsolete Pakistani tanks.Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1975) - profile of two masterminds or 'Killer Majors' Syed Farook Rahman & Khandaker Abdur Rashid - History of Bangladesh http://www.londoni.co/index.php?view=article&id=271:assassination-of-sheikh-mujibur-rahman-1975-profile-of-two-masterminds-or-killer-majors-syed-farook-rahman-khandaker-abdur-rashid-history-of-bangladesh&catid=26:1975-assassination-of-sheikh-mujibur-rahman 2025-07-09 www.londoni.co In 1973, Bangladesh had donated tea and medical supplies to the Egyptian Army as support and the Egyptian government wanted to thank them. After the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Anwar Sadat decided to donate 30 Egyptian T-54 tanks to the Bangladesh government. This donation of tanks was used to raise the first proper tank regiment in Bangladesh. Assassination of Sheikh Mujib After its formation, Colonel Momen was assigned as the CO, with Major Farooq being his second-in-command. However, as Farooq had more experience from serving in Pakistan's Armoured Corps, he was the de facto commander. Horrified by the corruption and incompetency that he saw during the famine of 1974, Farooq and his brother-in-law, Khandaker Abdul Rashid, came up with a plan to assassinate Sheikh Mujib. They combined the 1st Bengal Lancers with the 2nd Field Artillery unit and started planning a coup. With the political backing of Khandaker Mostaq Ahmed, they formed kill squads with a group of like-minded Majors and assassinated most of Sheikh Mujib's family.Khatib A. L. 2008-08-15 The sinister darkness in which Sheikh Mujib died https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-50453 2025-07-09 The Daily Star en Tanks from the Lancers were used to neutralize the Jatiya Rakkhi Bahini. Afterwords, Major Dalim captured the army chief, KM Shafiullah, and forced him and the other service chiefs to swear allegiance to President Ahmed. 2014-12-04 Before and After August 15: In eyes of Gen Shafiullah https://www.thedailystar.net/before-and-after-august-15-in-eyes-of-gen-shafiullah-53390 2025-07-09 The Daily Star en November Coups and Split On November 3, the CGS Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf launched a counter coup, which resulted in all of the assassins agreeing to leave the country.Khaled Mahjabeen 2021-11-07 Remembering the tragedy of November 7, 1975 https://www.thedailystar.net/views/opinion/news/remembering-the-tragedy-november-7-1975-2223676 2025-07-09 The Daily Star en Then-Major General Mosharraf would later be assassinated during the Sepoy Mutiny, in support of Major General Ziaur Rahman. Afterwords, the 1st Bengal Lancers was split between Savar and Bogra. See also Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman References Category:Bangladesh Army Category:1974 establishments in Bangladesh