East Bengal Regiment

The East Bengal Regiment
Cap badge of the East Bengal Regiment
Active	15 February 1948 – present
Country	Bangladesh
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	58 battalions
Garrison/HQ	Chittagong
Nickname(s)	The Tigers
Motto(s)	Grace, Strength, Speed
Colours	Colour of coagulated blood (BCC 37)
March	Chal Chal Chal
Mascot(s)	Royal Bengal tiger
Anniversaries	15 February
Engagements	Battle of Chawinda, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Bangladesh Liberation War

The East Bengal Regiment (Bengali: ইস্ট বেঙ্গল রেজিমেন্ট) is an infantry regiment of the Bangladesh Army.

The East Bengal Regiment was formed on 15 February 1948 following Pakistan's transition from the Partition of India. The infantry of the new Pakistan Army was made up exclusively of men from the western part of the country. It was consequently necessary to raise a regiment in the east. Two companies of Bengali pioneers from the Bihar Regiment were regimented into the 1st Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel VJ Patterson as Commanding Officer (C.O.) and Major Abdul Waheed Choudhury as Officer Commanding (O.C.) Training Coy. Captain Sami Ullah Khan and Captain Abdul Gani in the lead of two Pioneer Companies (1256 and 1407). Between 1948 and 1965, a total of eight battalions were raised.

At the end of the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965, a new battalion called the Lucky Tigers of the 6th Bengal was created. The creation of the battalion was not finished until 1966.

In March 1971, in response to a crackdown on locals in East Pakistan, the five battalions of the East Bengal Regiment mutinied and actively participated in the Bangladesh War of Liberation. The East Bengal Regiment formed the core of the liberation forces, which became known as the Bangladesh Forces. The structure and formation of the Bangladeshi Forces during the Liberation War of 1971 was determined at the Sector Commander's Conference that was held from 11 July to 17 July 1971.

General Osmani was appointed Commander-in-Chief of all Bangladesh Forces. Lieutenant Colonel M A Rab was appointed as Chief of Army Staff and Squadron Leader M. Hamidullah Khan was assigned to the largest guerrilla training camp of the liberation war at Chakulia, Bihar. Khan was made Chief Military Representative of the Bangladesh government in exile, including the decision of formation of three brigades which were formed with East Bengal Regiments.