Maj. Gen. Md Siddiqur Rahman Sarker (Retd.) Is One Of The Notable Persons In The Infrastructure Development Of Bangladesh. He Has Been A Part And Led Many Iconic Projects Namely Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive, Dhaka – Faridpur Expressway, Bangabandhu Military Museum, Army Officers’ Club Etc.
Get To Know More About His Humble Journey As He Recalls His Fond Memories Of The Bangladesh Army And How He’s Enjoying His Retirement.
Q. WOULD YOU SHARE WITH US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE?
I was born and raised in the natural country life in Narsingdi at my family house and spent most of my childhood there in the sprawling carefree environment within the comforts of a strong community. After completion of higher secondary school from Govt Titumir College, I joined the Bangladesh Military Academy in 1981, where I received the President’s Commission as Second Lieutenant in the Army officer in the Corps of Engineers commencing my professional career. At the same time I earned my first Bachelor’s degree from Chattogram University.
While continuing my service in the Army, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Structural/Geo-Technology) from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) in 1993. In 2001, I earned an MSc in Engineering (Water Resources) from BUET and a second Master’s in Defense Studies from National University while undergoing Staff College in the Army. As the years progressed, in 2006, I underwent the Higher Defense Management Course in the Republic of India and earned a Master’s in Management Studies (MMS) from Osmanya University, Hyderabad. I was fortunate to receive an Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc) in Command & Leadership from the Commonwealth University of Belize City, Central America, in 2017. I completed my Ph.D. (Environmental Engineering) from MIST, under Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) in 2020, which I started in 2013.
Besides attaining academic degrees, I completed professional military and engineering courses at home and abroad and finally retired as Major General, a two-star General rank officer in the Bangladesh Army, and served my final command as the Engineer-in-Chief at the Bangladesh Army Headquarters (AHQ). I also served as the Area Commander, Logistics Area, Dhaka Cantonment and also as the Commandant, MIST.
I have been a learner all my life, took on life challenges humbly with steadfastness. So far in life, I have been immensely blessed to have come across countless opportunities to gain knowledge and contribute to the country’s development.
Q. HOW AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER IN THE BANGLADESH ARMY AND FROM WHERE DID THE INSPIRATION COME?
I was the youngest of eight siblings. During my childhood, I led a carefree life amongst the love and care of all my elder siblings. Life in the countryside was tight-knit and conservative, where discipline and focus were key to self-development but without strict rules or harsh norms. Growing up in a free society helped my mind grow with a strong sense of community.
Honestly, I Did Not Want To Go Far From Home And Wanted To Stay Close To My Parents, Especially With My Mother. After Primary Schooling, I Realized That I Needed To Focus More Seriously On My Studies. The Competition And Syllabus Were More Challenging Than I Thought. I Took On The Challenges And Adjusted To The New Reality.
Honestly, since childhood, I aspired to become a doctor, but fate had other plans for me. I took admission into a dental college where my roommate was from a cadet college who was keenly interested in joining the army as an officer. His motivation and enthusiasm excited me, and I myself got interested and thought of becoming an officer in the military as well. Later I decided to follow the same career path. I qualified in the selection process and joined the Bangladesh Military Academy.
Q. SHARE WITH US YOUR CAREER IN THE BANGLADESH ARMY AND YOUR SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE YEARS.
As I mentioned before, after receiving a Commission in the BD Army in 1983, I worked my way up the ranks the next three decades to become a Major General. As a captain, I was a Staff Officer to the General Officer Commanding, 24 Infantry Division, and closely involved in the insurgency operations and the dialogue with the Shanti Bahini (an insurgency group) in Chattogram Hill Tracts. My desk was in charge of collecting and collating intelligence on the adversary.
In 2002, after my promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, I was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 16th Engineer Construction Battalion at Chattogram Hill Tracts area. We constructed and maintained over 12 roads in 3 hill districts. Besides, as Capt, I was the 1st Project Officer of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive in 1993 under the Ministry of Roads & Bridges. I was lucky to complete this beautiful road and open it to traffic in 2017 as Maj Gen. As an engineer officer, I served in the Hill Tracts area 4 times. As Lt Col, I was fortunate to serve in AHQ, Operations Directorate from 2006 to 2007.
Once I got promoted to the rank of Colonel, I took over the charge of Sector Commander BGB, Rangamati, just after the carnage in 2009. So I had to face a critical juncture of the BDR carnage to bring the situation under control. The first trial of BDR personnel started in my Sector. For my outstanding performance as Sector Commander, I was awarded BGBM & PBGM. I was also a Senior Instructor & Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at MIST.
After getting promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, I was appointed as the Director of Works & Chief Engineer at Army Headquarters. Many modern and important development projects were planned and implemented for the army during that time to facilitate the army’s well-being. Later I became the Commander of the 14th Independent Engineer Brigade in Dhaka.
I was promoted to Major General on 1st January 2013, and posted as the Area Commander, Logistics Area, Dhaka Cantonment. I was also the Commandant (equivalent to VC) in MIST from 2014 to 2016. Then I became the Engineer in Chief at AHQ, from 2016 to 2019.
By the grace of the Almighty, my journey has been immensely rewarding and fulfilling. I feel privileged to have experienced the remarkable economic and physio structural transformation of the country by contributing to its development throughout my career in Bangladesh Army.
Q. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NOTABLE PROJECTS YOU HAVE UNDERTAKEN DURING YOUR SERVICE IN THE ARMY?
Let me start with the story of 2012 when I was the Commander for the 14th independent Engineer Brigade. It was my suggestion to place our national symbol, the Water Lily (Shapla), instead of the pip as the rank insignia of a Major General. It’s a deviation from the British system and the logic was to place the national symbol on the badge of all Field Officers (Major and above, which includes Major General).
The current ARTDOC (Army Training and Doctrine Command) at Mymensingh and the Bangladesh University of Professionals were established in our Armed Forces following my preliminary proposals.
During My Tenure As Commandant At MIST, I Established Six Engineering Departments, Namely; Nuclear Science, Biomedical, Environment Science, Industrial Production, Architecture And Water Resources.
With the approval of the Govt, 30 Ph.D. professors, Bangladeshi nationals working abroad and 35 lecturers were enrolled in MIST, which strengthened our teaching capacity. Project proposals for two academic and one administrative building were prepared and forwarded for MIST as per the master plan and approved by the Govt in the ECNEC meeting. My focus was based on the students’ well-being. On the order of AHQ, under my leadership three new technical universities were established, namely; in Qadirabad Cantonment, Saidpur Cantonment and Cumilla Cantonment. Two Management Schools were also opened under BUP, namely; Savar and Sylhet Cantonment at the same time. The planning, site selection, curriculum preparation, faculty and administrative personnel recruitment, Govt approvals, 1st year student admission etc were done within a very short time period.
To Shed Some Light Upon The Development Projects That I Have Accomplished As Engineer In Chief By Order Of The Govt At The National Level, Includes The Supervision Of The Construction Of Cox’s Bazar To Teknaf Marine Drive; The Planning, Supervision And Construction Of The 1st Expressway From Jatrabari – Mawa – Bhanga, Faridpur. The Planning, Development And The Construction Of An Eight Lane Expressway With Three Lane Service Roads And 100 Ft Canals On Both Sides Of 300 Feet Road Of Progoti Sarani – Kanchon Bridge In Dhaka Was Led By Me.
I was deeply involved in planning and development upto the inauguration of the Chattogram city Waterlogging Removal project. The Toshakhana Museum at Bijoy Shoroni, Dhaka was planned and completed under my leadership. 500 bed modern Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Institute and DMCH. Sheikh Hasina Textile Institute at Jamalpur, Sheikh Russell Textile Institute at Sylhet, Wajed Mia Textile Institute at Pirganj, and the A.H.M. Quamruzzaman Textile Institute at Naogaon, etc were established during my time.
At CMH, with the direction of CAS, a modern cancer center as well as a fertility center was planned and established under my supervision. 27 high rise building projects of the army and 22 high rise building projects of the navy were built under my supervision. The Army Officers’ Club at Dhaka Cantonment was also planned, developed and constructed under my supervision. Other institutes include the CMP Center & School, The construction of Sheikh Hasina Cantonment at Lebukhali, Barisal was spearheaded by me, which was an ECNEC project costing about Tk 1695 crores. The Bangladesh Army funded the construction of the five-story splendid Central Mosque at the Mirpur DOHS, where I coordinated the construction works. The modern Bangabandhu Complexes of Bangladesh Naval Academy and Bangladesh Air Force Academy were planned, designed and constructed, under my supervision and under respective services Chief.
The idea of `Helmet` at the AHQ conference room is also given by me.
Apart from the projects mentioned above, I’ve worked on many other development projects at both the national and Armed Forces level. As I was the Engineer in Chief, I had to coordinate with various ministries, services headquarters, local bodies and plan, design, supervise and execute all the projects for speedy completion with quality assurance.
Q. SINCE YOU WERE A VC AT MIST, MENTION A FEW OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS THAT YOU TAKE HONOR IN.
Today it is an established fact that Bangladesh is very close to joining the nuclear club. But initially, we lacked qualified graduates in the relevant field. On the other hand, we didn’t have qualified biomedical engineers. To cite an example, in order to run a hospital properly, you need not only good doctors, nurses but also a set of modern equipment and qualified personnel who can operate and maintain the equipment. To meet this demand, we introduced Biomedical Engineering before BUET and Dhaka University at MIST. Our Rooppur Power Plant at Isshordi needed graduates, which was missing, as Nuclear Science & Engineering was started at MIST. We sat with Nuclear Science Engineers from home and abroad and with Gonoshastho Kendro to set the syllabus for the subject. We also sent faculties abroad to receive training in Nuclear Science and Biomedical Engineering for this purpose.
While filling up the shortage of faculties at the MIST, we contacted several young and experienced Ph.D. holders who were teaching and settled abroad, we gave them nice offers and ultimately appointed them as faculties and began our journey. They were from various disciplines like Nuclear Science, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, etc. By now, most of them have attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
I always wanted to take a unique approach regarding MIST. I was less than satisfied with conventional subjects only. That’s why we introduced multiple subject disciplines. We have the latest modern testing facilities in our lab where we heavily focus on research works as well.
I’ve also initiated bilateral agreements and exchange programs with universities abroad, especially from Canada, the USA, and Malaysia. Our students can go abroad, or students from abroad can come to MIST to complete their syllabus. We have connected our students to the global platform in such a way that you’d find MIST graduates in any part of the world. We introduced a specific dress code to better establish their identity. We also encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities. With all these, we train and prepare them to be ready for the job markets worldwide.
These are just some fragments of activities that I consider as my little achievements in MIST. I look forward to seeing MIST flourish more and more in the future and generate world-class graduates.
Q. SHARE A FEW MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES OR EVENTS FROM THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH.
I have been fortunate enough to be a part of so many notable projects. Among those, one interesting project was the highway from Jatrabari to Faridpur. There were many electrical lines, mosques, and other establishments that had to be shifted elsewhere. Normally, it would have taken about two years to shift these infrastructures, but we did it within only three months.
Another one was a rail crossing in Postogola. When we went there to expand the road, we learned that the grave of an Attorney General’s father was laid there now 26 ft below the surface. We couldn’t help but listen to what the Attorney General and his brothers had to say. After a few meetings, we were able to convince them and shifted the grave elsewhere. There was also a five-storied market that belonged to a political figure that we had to demolish.
The army usually handles the challenging projects. Speaking of that, I remember when we were tasked with building the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery. There was a Shrine (Majar) that needed to be shifted, but the followers were not allowing us to do so. Initially, they seriously objected and threatened to siege Dhaka city by calling all of their followers from across the country. We decided not to apply any force because we don’t intend to hurt people’s religious sentiment. We also didn’t want to agitate the followers, causing a disturbance in the locality. However, we had a peaceful solution and ended the project successfully.
I hope the clean image that the Army carries, will last for a lifetime. We have no ill intention, and as I’ve said, we work for the betterment of society as well as the country.
Q. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHILE REPRESENTING BANGLADESH ON THE INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS AND ACCORDING TO YOU WHAT IMAGE HAVE YOU FOUND OF OUR COUNTRY IN THE FOREIGN WORLD?
Honestly, it feels wonderful. I’ve represented Bangladesh in various UN seminars and meetings, and
I Can Proudly Say That The Global Community Carries A Very Positive Attitude Towards Bangladesh. We Have An Outstanding Reputation In The UN Peacekeeping Missions.
There’s a probability of an individual committing a crime in the mission area/conflict zone while going out of their own military discipline while serving in the UN. On the other hand, Bangladeshi peacekeepers are hardly involved in any wrongdoings while serving in UN missions. Moreover, our religious views and learnings encourage us to be kind and pious. We are peace loving by nature, moderate in religious issues, and have attained a positive reputation in the UN. The UN has significantly less trouble when they take Bangladeshi soldiers for a peacekeeping mission. I served three times in the UN mission, namely, Military Observer in Bosnia (UNPROFOR), Staff Officer in Eretria (UNMEE) and Chief Engineer in Liberia (UNMIL) and I feel proud that we maintain a very positive image at the UN.
Q. SINCE VARIOUS TYPES OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ARE BEING INTRODUCED, WHAT’S YOUR OPINION IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN EMBRACE THEM MORE EFFECTIVELY?
As a civil engineer, I can see a lot of new technologies being introduced, transforming the structures and how they are completed. Now we see structures built which are tall, light, green & environment friendly, earthquake-tolerant, durable, comfortable and easier to maintain. Recently, we have also won the award for the world’s best building which is a hospital in a remote area of Bangladesh. It shows that we can compete with the world even with structures established in remote areas of the country.
We are also actively making software for foreign companies, and that too by homegrown engineers. I had the auspicious opportunity of visiting Infosys in India and experiencing their activities up close. It was back in 2004, and Infosys has been like a hub of innovation since then. It didn’t matter which position you belonged to; everyone is equal there. Nobody used to call each other sir, but a sense of utmost respect prevailed among everyone. We need to introduce this culture into our industry as well. Most importantly, the students need a proper environment and opportunity to embrace the innovations. I have sent teams abroad to participate in competitions and made sure that other students were informed about what they did, how they did, and what they achieved. Every week, we held an assembly to know what the students needed for a positive learning ecosystem. I installed modern teaching aids, lab facilities in the classrooms to make the students comfortable. As a leader, it was my duty to ensure their demands were met. I made sure that the students stayed up to date with modern innovations in a comfortable and positive learning environment.
Q. WHERE DO YOU THINK OUR EDUCATION SECTOR CAN IMPROVE TO BETTER EQUIP THE YOUNG ONES WITH QUALITIES TO COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL ARENA?
I believe there’s room for improvement in our education system. Let me give you an example; in South Korea, after World War II, they heavily focused their funds on ensuring mass education. If the majority of the population were literate, all the sectors would thrive. On the other hand, if you want to cripple a nation, breaking its education system is sufficient.
Due to Covid, the auto-pass system in recent days has caused a bottleneck in the education system. There are a lot of students with good results, but they lack quality. As a result, when we see students sitting for admission exams, for example, in Dhaka University’s English department, there’s a very low pass rate.
In our country, usually students with good results do not stay in the country and opt to go abroad for higher studies. Why does this brain drain occur? Because our students don’t get better opportunities in our country. Many students don’t have the latest technical know-how after completing their degree. So many universities got established in the past several years, but even the UGC isn’t happy with the standard. You’d see that one single faculty is teaching at multiple universities. This is not how you maintain the quality of education. The lacking prevails with all stakeholders in the system.
We need to ensure that we build equipped graduates and that they are learning well. It’s a teacher’s responsibility to learn about a student’s weaknesses and strengths and teach him accordingly. Although we have been focused on technical knowledge recently, we still have a long way to go. If a student doesn’t have a strong foundation of basic knowledge, he or she might not be able to utilize his time at the university level.
Q. THERE’S AN INCREASING NUMBER OF STUDENTS FALLING INTO DEPRESSION AND SEEM LOST IN THEIR ACADEMIC JOURNEY. ACCORDING TO YOU, WHY DO SUCH INCIDENTS OCCUR, AND HOW CAN THEY COPE WITH IT?
Since we’re a densely populated country, we aren’t able to create enough opportunities for all. It forces them to look for options elsewhere in other countries. For this reason, we’ve got an enormous amount of unskilled labor. Bangladeshis who travel to the Middle East mostly do labour jobs, and workers from other countries occupy the higher-level positions. This is because we couldn’t train our people and ensure their proper placement abroad. I think there should be a dedicated agency in every district/Thana level that’ll be engaged in training the workforce and ensuring their proper placement abroad.
Primarily, it is the government’s responsibility to create opportunities for the people. Then the parents and the teachers have an important role to play in their life which they often fail to maintain. Bangladesh is a land of opportunity but we couldn’t ensure proper skills and opportunities for our students and as a result, many lose track halfway through their academic journey.
Since the students are unable to meet their needs and acquire skills, they fail to get better opportunities which in turn causes depression or sadness. I strongly believe that our education system needs to be redefined and the parents need to play their part in ensuring their children’s safety and well-being. I’ve visited many countries and seen how productive they are. They alone can do the work of three people & very much disciplined and punctual. In Bangladesh, most people aren’t much efficient compared to them. There is a huge scope of work but since we don’t have the skilled force, we have to depend on other country’s people. However, I strongly believe we have a huge potential and I am very optimistic about our contribution to the global arena.
Q. DO YOU THINK THERE’S A GAP IN ETHICAL AND MORAL VALUES WHEN IT COMES TO THE CORPORATE SECTOR? WHAT’S YOUR OPINION REGARDING THIS MATTER?
In Order To Bring A Change, One Person’s Contribution Alone Is Enough To Make A Difference. We Cannot Forget That We Have To Face The Consequences Of All Our Actions In The Afterlife.
Why not come forward to stop ill/unethical practices around us? I am hopeful that as our economy develops, these unethical practices should gradually fade away.
I see a lot of educated people lacking moral senses. On the other hand, there are many people who don’t have degrees but have ethics and sound moral values. They are doing well in business as well. It’s not always about academics but your morals that make you a proper human being.
However, I Believe That There Are Brighter Days Ahead For Bangladesh As The People Are Sincere In Their Work And The Government Is Leaving No Stone Unturned In Improving The Economy And Building Better And More Sustainable Solutions.
Q. HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR RETIRED LIFE AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS?
I retired in 2019 from the military. I am physically and mentally in good shape and still leading a busy life with the priority to spend more time with my family. I’ve also started a small agro-business and I am working on scaling it up. I have some paternal properties that I am looking after. I still have a lot of things to do and I try to provide voluntary contributions whenever I can. It is our solemn duty to continue giving back to society as much as we can. By the grace of Almighty, I believe that I’ll be doing well in the coming days, In Shaa Allah.
