SM Kamrul Hassan

SM Kamrul Hassan is a two-star general of the Bangladesh Army. As Major General he is currently appointed as Senior Directing Staff at National Defence College, prior to that he was the Commandant of Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) and also commanded the 66th Infantry Division and Rangpur Area, as General-Officer-Commanding (GOC). He was commissioned in the East Bengal Regiment with the 21st BMA Long Course as the top cadet in weapons training.

Education
He is an alumnus of Mirzapur Cadet College, Bangladesh Military Academy with a Bachelors of Science and holds three master's degrees, with a Master's in Defense Studies from National University of Bangladesh, Master's of Business Administration in Digital and Technological Management from Royal Roads University and Master's of Scientific Management from Osmania University.

He has completed numerous military courses with distinction both at home and abroad, including a mid-career course in Pakistan,  Defense Services Command and Staff College DSCSC (Bangladesh), Army Command and General Staff College (Philippines), College of Defense Management (India) and National Defense College (Bangladesh). Securing the "Best Foreign Officer" award in India and Pakistan.

He has also attended French language courses at Alliance Françoise and is trained in international humanitarian law. Furthermore, he has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) on Government and Politics from Jahangirnagar University.

Instruction
The general has served as an instructor in all premier training institutions of Bangladesh Armed Forces starting off as the youngest Platoon Commander of Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA)' s history to Directing Staff in Tactics Wing at School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T).

Faculty Member as both Directing Staff and 24th Chief Instructor of Defense Services Command and Staff College DSCSC where he trained officers from numerous nations including USA, France, China, Egypt, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Turkey. Later, as the Commandant of Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) and currently is appointed as Senior Directing Staff at National Defence College (NDC).

Command
He has commanded three battalions, the operationally active 12th East Bengal Regiment in Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bandarban), 20th East Bengal Regiment as preparation of an emergency deployment to Africa responding to UN mandates and the 1st Bangladesh Battalion at BMA as "Battalion Commander".

Two Infantry Brigades, the 52nd Infantry Brigade and 6th Infantry Brigade, and an Infantry Division as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 66th Infantry Division (Defenders of the Strategic North) where he led 18,000 military personnel. Furthermore, he was twice appointed as a Sector-Commander of United Nations Forces.

Operations
He has over 10 years of "Active Operational Service" throughout his career from Lieutenant to Brigadier General with three tenures accumulating to 6 years 10 months in Chittagong Hill Tracts (Insurgency) and 4 years 6 months on expedition to Africa and Middle-East under the Blue Helmet of United Nations.

With UN, he served as a Mechanized Platoon Commander in Iraq-Kuwait (UNIKOM) during 1990s, as a Captain. Then, Operations Officer in sector headquarters Liberia (UNMIL) as a Major and Contingent-Commander responding to emergency deployment in Ivory Coast (UNOCI) as a Colonel. Later, as the Commander of Centre and Western sector, in volatile Central African Republic (MUNUSCA), leading two multi-national brigade size forces consequtively as Brigadier General.

Administration
Apart from various regimental staff duties, he served twice in the Army Headquarters, Military Secretary's Branch, working on the human resource management of the officers in Bangladesh Army.

Personal life
The general is married to Rahima Akter and the couple has one son. His father and his father's brothers were freedom fighters and their hometown residence was transformed into a mukti bahini camp during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971. Furthermore, his grandfather served in the British Army during World War 2, operating in Burma, North Africa and Europe against Axis Forces.

Additionally, he is a widely travelled individual and visited over 50 nations across the globe in a professional or personal capacity.