CHITTAGONG: Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed and an officer seriously injured after a tank reportedly exploded during a live-firing exercise at the Hathazari Field Firing Range on Wednesday.
The incident occurred during a routine military training exercise at the range in Chattogram, according to a government statement. The blast claimed the lives of two soldiers, while the injured officer was evacuated by air to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka for further treatment.
Authorities have launched an inquiry to establish what caused the tank to explode. Officials said necessary measures had been initiated to determine whether the incident resulted from a technical malfunction, ammunition failure or another operational factor.
The identities of the deceased soldiers and further technical details about the tank were not immediately released.
The accident has also renewed discussion over the safety and serviceability of older Chinese-origin military equipment operated by Bangladesh. However, no official investigation has yet established that the tank’s origin or design was responsible for the blast.
The incident comes amid wider regional debate over the performance and reliability of Chinese-made military platforms, particularly following recent scrutiny of defence equipment used in high-intensity operations.
Military officials are expected to determine the precise cause of the explosion once the investigation is completed.
