Bangladesh

People's Republic of Bangladesh

Formerly an administrative unit of Pakistan called East Pakistan (مشرقی پاکستان or পূর্ব পাকিস্তান), following the Bangladesh Liberation War (March - December 1971) an independent nation of Bangladesh emerged. Officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ or Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh), the nation is a democratic republic and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The armed forces of Bangladesh consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guards (formerly the Bangladesh Rifles), Coast Guard, and the Bangladesh Ansars (aka Ansar Bahini), which are a gendarmerie-type paramilitary force tasked primarily with internal security. With over 178,000 military personnel, the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been frequent participants in United Nations sponsored peacekeeping efforts around the globe since 1974.

Bangladeshi Camouflage Patterns

• The Bangladesh DPM camouflage pattern is a derivative of the original British design. Although lacking many of the usual features of DPM (such as stippling), the shapes show a distinctive relationship to the British design. Uniforms and fabrics are locally produced, and exhibit a certain amount of variability in color.

• Emerging in the 1990s, a very brightly-colored woodland-style pattern came into use with Bangladeshi forces. Although similar to the US design, the shapes appear to be based on different drawings. This design is still in use today, although the colors have been changed a little from older versions.

• The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) assumed border security responsibility for the nation in 1972, following the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The new unit was formed out of the old East Pakistan Rifles Regiment. A distinctive duck hunter camouflage pattern incorporating grey & dark green spots on orange-tan background was issued to this regiment, but fell out of service in 2010 when the unit assumed its new identity.

• Following a violent mutiny in the Dhaka region in February 2009, members of the Bangladesh Rifles were found responsible for 74+ deaths, including 57 officers of the regiment. This led to a Parliamentary Act in 2010 and the reformation of the old unit, which became the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB). Shortly after standing up, the new unit adopted a different camouflage design featuring black, reddish-brown, and green woodland-like shapes on a khaki background.

• The Bangladesh Ansar (national gendarmerie) have worn a blue leaf pattern incorporating yellow-tan, dark blue (or black) and purple on pale blue background. This pattern was still being worn in 2016. Another design, a copy of the standard Army woodland-style design with a different colorway (having brown and blue-grey shapes on a yellowish-tan background) is also in circulation with some Ansar units.

• The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) (স্পেশাল ওয়ারফেয়ার ডাইভিং অ্যান্ড স্যালভেজ) Command of the Bangladesh Navy wear a leaf-type camouflage pattern with dark brown and foliage green shapes on a grey background. This design first appeared in public photographs circa 2012.

• Members of the SWADS that have graduated from the UDT/SEAL Course operated by the Republic of Korea have also been documented wearing a tiger stripe design.

• The Bangladesh Fire and Civil Defense Directorate issues a bright orange dominant camouflage pattern to its rescue workers.

• The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) adopted its own pixelated camouflage design in 2017.

• Also adopted in 2017, a mid/dark blue pixelated design for personnel of the Bangladesh Navy. The official name is Bangladesh Uniform 2301.

• The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) now wear a pixelated version of their earlier camouflage design, incorporating the same color palette as before.