Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed and an officer seriously injured after a tank exploded during a field firing exercise at the Hathazari Field Firing Range in Chattogram on Wednesday. The accident occurred while personnel were firing from the tank as part of the military exercise.
Bangladesh’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) confirmed that two soldiers died in the incident and an Army officer suffered serious injuries. The injured officer was being airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for advanced treatment. The identities of those killed and injured were not immediately released.
Chinese-origin tank involved
Reports identified the armoured vehicle involved as a Type 59, a Chinese-origin main battle tank operated by the Bangladesh Army. The Type 59 is an older-generation tank developed by China on the basis of the Soviet T-54A design and has been in service with the Bangladesh military for decades.
The precise circumstances of the explosion remain unclear. While reports said the tank exploded during firing, the Bangladesh Army has not announced whether the accident was caused by a technical malfunction, ammunition failure or another factor.
Probe launched into explosion
The ISPR said necessary steps were being taken to establish the cause of the accident. No further details about the tank’s condition or the ammunition being used during the exercise were immediately disclosed.
The accident is expected to bring the operational condition and maintenance of older armoured platforms under scrutiny, though authorities have so far made no finding linking the incident to the age or origin of the tank. Further details are expected after the military investigation.