Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim Appointed New Chief of Naval Staff

 Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim Appointed New Chief of Naval Staff

The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has appointed Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim, NBP, NPP, ndu, afwc, psc, MPhil, PhD, as the new Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy. According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Defence on 16 July 2026, he will assume office on 23 July 2026 after being promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral. He succeeds Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, OSP, NBP, NUP, ndc, ncc, psc, and will serve a three-year term until 22 July 2029.

Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim joined the Bangladesh Navy on 1 January 1987 and was commissioned in the Executive Branch on 1 July 1989 after completing his basic naval officer training at the Royal Malaysian Navy with distinction. He ranked first in both seniority and merit in his batch (87-A).

He earned a PhD in Maritime Governance from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). In addition, he obtained an MPhil degree and three Master’s degrees with First Class distinctions in Strategic Studies, Defence Studies and Operational Studies from institutions at home and abroad. He is a distinguished graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) and the Armed Forces War Course (AFWC) of the National Defence College (NDC). During his academic career, he secured positions in the merit lists of both the SSC and HSC examinations and received the Chancellor’s Award from the Hon’ble President of Bangladesh.

Over a career spanning nearly four decades, Rear Admiral Azim has held several key command, staff and instructional appointments. He served as Commander Chattogram Naval Area (COMCHIT), Commander Dhaka Naval Area (COMDHAKA), Commander Submarine (COMSUB) and Commandant of the Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA). He also served as Director of Naval Operations and Director of Naval Plans at Naval Headquarters. He commanded warships including BNS Umar Farooq, BNS Shaheed Ruhul Amin, BNS Nirbhoy and BNS Saikat, as well as Naval Base BNS Titumir. He has also served as an instructor at the Bangladesh Naval Academy, DSCSC and NDC.

In the international arena, he participated in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most recently, he served as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Oman, where he contributed significantly to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting the welfare of Bangladeshi expatriates.

Rear Admiral Azim has been awarded the Bangladesh Navy’s highest peacetime decoration, the Noubahini Padak (NBP), and the Nou Paradarshita Padak (NPP). He has also received the National Integrity Award, the National Scout Award (Silver Hilsha Padak), the Chief of Naval Staff’s Commendation on three occasions, the Birshreshtha Ruhul Amin Award, the Best Individual Research Paper Award and the Best Student Award in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officers’ Specialization Course.

An avid reader, author and researcher, he has published numerous articles on maritime security, defence, military affairs and naval strategy. His hobbies include golf, basketball, chess and table tennis. He is fluent in Bangla and English and has working proficiency in Malay and French.

Throughout his long career, Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim has upheld the spirit of the Liberation War and demonstrated professional excellence, integrity and military leadership. He is married to Begum Nurtaz Azim and the couple has two daughters.