Muhammad Muhsin Alam (born 22 November 1971)
[Brigade Commander] is a retired
one star officer and former commander of
para commando brigade of the Bangladesh army. Alam also served in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the Northern Sector Commander of
MONUSCO
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO (an acronym based on its French name ), is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A planned withdraw ...
.
Early life and education
Alam was born in
Jamalpur of then East Pakistan on 1971. He completed his
secondary school certification from Hazarbari High School and
higher secondary certification from the
Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College (Notre Dame College of Ohio or NDC) was a private Roman Catholic college in South Euclid, Ohio. Established in 1922 by the Sisters of Notre Dame as a women's college, it was coeducational from January 2001 until its closure ...
. He enlisted to
Bangladesh Military Academy
Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) is the military training institute for the officer cadets of Bangladesh Army. It is located in Bhatiary, near the Chittagong Hill Tracts, in the Chittagong District of south-east Bangladesh about 13 kilometers ...
on 1989 and was commissioned in the
East Bengal Regiment
The East Bengal Regiment () is one of the two infantry regiments of the Bangladesh Army, the other being the Bangladesh Infantry Regiment. East Bengal Regiment was founded by Major Abdul Gani.
History
The East Bengal Regiment was formed on ...
in June 1991 with the 24th
BMA Long Course. Alam has undergone advanced training courses at para commando from the
School of Infantry and Tactics, combat tracking from
Royal Military College Royal Military College may refer to:
;Australia
* Royal Military College, Duntroon, Campbell, Australian Capital Territory
;Canada
* Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario
* Royal Military College Saint-Jean, Saint-Jean, Quebec
;Indi ...
at Malaysia and the free fall seminar from PLA airborne school under
Army Special Operations Academy
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force Special Operations Academy (Ministry of Education (China), MOE code 91009), the Special Services’ Operations College, or the Army Special Operations Academy for short, is a Unit Grade System of t ...
at China.
[Army Commando Course or ACC. A six-month-long special forces induction course for members of Bangladesh Armed forces][Tracking course to find out insurgents movement in jungle environment in Pulada, Malaysia] Alam also attended the UN integrated mission seminar with the
Canadian peacekeeping
Canada has served in over 50 peacekeeping missions, including every United Nations (UN) peacekeeping effort from its inception until 1989. More than 125,000 Canadians have served in international peacekeeping operations, with approximately 130 Ca ...
force at
CFB Halifax
Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax is Canada's east coast naval base and home port to the Royal Canadian Navy Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the formation (military), formation Maritime Forces At ...
, Canada.
[From PLA Airborne School] [Pearson Peace Keeping Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada]
Alam is a graduate of
Defence Services Command and Staff College
The Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) is situated at Batalanda, Makola (South) 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sr ...
and the
National Defence College.
[Class of 2003] He completed his master's degree in Defence Studies from
National University
A national university is mainly a university created or managed by a government, but which may also at the same time operate autonomously without direct control by the state. In the United States, the term "national university" connotes the highe ...
.
Military career
Alam served as garrison staff officer (grade-2) at
46th Independent Infantry Brigade
46th Independent Infantry Brigade is an independent brigade formation of Bangladesh Army. It is located in Dhaka Cantonment directly under the command of the Army Headquarters (AHQ). The brigade is also known as the Dhaka Brigade.
History
This b ...
and the principal of
Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan
Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) (, Bangladesh Institute of Sports Education) is the national sports institute of Bangladesh. It is residential and is located at Savar Upazila, Savar, about north-west of the capital, Dhaka, and about ...
. He also instructed a considerable length at School of Infantry and Tactics. He commanded two infantry battalions in
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...
and one infantry brigade. On 2019 Alam was appointed as commander of
Para Commando Brigade.
As commander of para commando brigade, Alam has participated in Advanced Marksmanship seminar joint by the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
, and a six-day long Exercise Cope South by United States Air Force on 6 February 2020 along with a 24-day Joint Counter-Terrorism Training Exercise Bengal Brit consigned with the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. He furthermore conducted Exercise Tiger Shark with the American army on 24 September 2020. Under his directive, a week-long customized training was rendered to members of the Crisis Response Team of the Bangladesh Police in June 2021. Alam was the lead sky diver for the 50th
Victory Day
Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...
parade ceremony on 16 December 2021. He received the chief of army staff's commendation on 27 August 2023. Alam went to leave per retirement in December 2024 while serving as director of
Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory
Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Limited (BMTF) is a commercial enterprise run under the management of Bangladesh Army. It has 19 dynamic factories engaged in manufacturing a total of 566 products. It is located at Gazipur, about 40 km from D ...
.
United Nations peacekeeping missions
Alam served under
United Nations peacekeeping
Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role of the United Nations's Department of Peace Operations and an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is ...
forces twice. First as with Bangladesh battalion consigned with
UNAMID in
Darfur
Darfur ( ; ) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju () while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë , and it was renamed Dartunjur () when the Tunjur ruled the area. ...
. Alam was designated as commander, Northern sector under
MONUSCO
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO (an acronym based on its French name ), is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A planned withdraw ...
in
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
. He assumed office on 13 January 2022. For conducting successful operation against armed groups within the shortest possible time Alam received consecutively four letters of commendations for four separate operations.
Alam furthermore maintained a close liaison with the
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame ...
. He had several calls on with the Congolese military region commander and the governor of
Ituri Province
Ituri Province ( in Swahili) is one of the 21 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. Ituri, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces are the result of the subdividing of the former Orientale ...
. As the UN commander, Alam faced admirations from the high command for controlling the
Anti-MONUSCO protests
In late July 2022, anti-MONUSCO protests manifested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The protests were against MONUSCO, the United Nations' peacekeeping force in the country, which has been accused by Congolese politicians and civilians ...
of Ituri province in which anti-MONUSCO ideals spread throughout the eastern D.R Congo on 25 July 2022.
The agitated Congolese nationals vandalized MONUSCO installations and residences of
North Kivu
North Kivu () is a Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population esti ...
and
South Kivu
South Kivu (; ) is one of Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Its capital city, capital is Bukavu. Located within the East African Rift's western branch Albertine Rift, it is ...
. The protestors violently attacked MONUSCO bases in
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the North Kivu, North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdo ...
, Beni and
Butembo
Butembo is a city in North Kivu, in the north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on the Rwenzori graben and west of Virunga National Park. The city is an important commercial centre with large markets, a cathedral, multiple large hospitals, a ...
. The forces headquarters, hospital, the central logistics base, the Bangladesh army engineers company, and BANATU were overrun by the frantic protestors. The fierce protest lasted for almost three weeks, during which the civilians could cause remarkable damage to UN personnel, materials, and information in these areas. The movement claimed the lives of 36 people, including three MONUSCO members.
But no anti-MONUSCO demonstration occurred in Ituri province, the northern section of MONUSCO. He also provided further humanitarian affords under the
Blue beret
A blue beret is a blue-colored beret used by various (usually special) military and other organizations. United Nations Peacekeeping, United Nations peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue be ...
to ameliorate Ituri province and its jurisdiction.
Personal life
Alam is married and has a son. He is a keen golfer. He also participated in a humanitarian aid drive amid recent COVID-19 pandemic.
He is an extensive traveler and has visited many countries in both an official and personal capacity.
Awards and decorations
Notes
References
Footnotes
Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alam, Md Muhsin
Living people
Bangladesh Army generals
Bangladesh Army brigadiers
Special forces of Bangladesh
National Defence College (Bangladesh) alumni
1971 births
20th-century Bangladeshi military personnel
21st-century Bangladeshi military personnel