Chief of Air Staff (Bangladesh)

Chief of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff
বিমান বাহিনী প্রধান
	Emblem
	Flag of the Chief of Air Staff
	Incumbent; Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan; since 12 June 2024
	Bangladesh Air Force
Type	Bangladesh Air Force service chief
Abbreviation	COAS
Member of	National Committee on Security Affairs
Reports to	President; Chief Adviser
Residence	Air House, Dhaka Cantonment
Seat	Air Force Headquarters, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka
Appointer	The Prime Minister; with President advice and consent
Term length	3 years,
Constituting instrument	Air Force Act, 1953 of (Act No. VI of 1953)
Formation	7 April 1972; 54 years ago
First holder	Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandker
Salary	৳160000 (US$1,300); per month (incl. allowances)
Website	Official website

The Chief of Air Staff (abbreviated as COAS) (Bengali: বিমান বাহিনী প্রধান, romanized: Bimān bāhinī prôdhān) is the professional head and highest-ranking commissioned officer of the Bangladesh Air Force. The Chief of Air Staff is responsible for the overall command, administration, training, and operational readiness of the air force, and serves as the principal air adviser to the Government of Bangladesh on matters of air defence and aerospace security.^[1]

The office is held by an officer with the rank of Air Chief Marshal and is appointed by the President of Bangladesh on the advice of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The Chief of Air Staff is a senior member of the Armed Forces Division and plays a key role in safeguarding national airspace, supporting joint military operations, disaster response, and participation in international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.^[2]^[3]^[4] Prior to 2016, from 2007 the appointment was held by an Air Marshal (three-star air officer) and from 1972 to 2007 COAS's rank was Air Vice Marshal.^[5]^[6]

List of Chiefs of Air Staff

No.	Chief of Air Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1	Khandker, AbdulAir Vice Marshal Abdul Karim Khandker BU, psa (1930–2025)	April 7, 1972	October 15, 1975	3 years, 191 days	–
2	Tawab, MuhammadAir Vice Marshal Muhammad Ghulam Tawab SJ, SBT, psa (1930–1999)	October 15, 1975	April 30, 1976	198 days	–
3	Bashar, KhademulAir Vice Marshal Khademul Bashar BU, TBT (1935–1976)	May 1, 1976	September 1, 1976 †	123 days	–
4	Mahmud, AbdulAir Vice Marshal A. G. Mahmud TBT, psa (born 1934)	September 5, 1976	December 8, 1977	1 year, 94 days	–
5	Hossain, SadruddinAir Vice Marshal Sadruddin Mohammad Hossain BP (born 1941)	December 9, 1977	July 22, 1981	3 years, 225 days	–
6	Mahmud, SultanAir Vice Marshal Sultan Mahmud BU (1944–2023)	July 23, 1981	July 22, 1987	5 years, 364 days	–
7	Ahmed, MomtazAir Vice Marshal Momtaz Uddin Ahmed psc (1941–2019)	July 23, 1987	June 4, 1991	3 years, 316 days	–
8	Chowdhury, AltafAir Vice Marshal Altaf Hossain Chowdhury ndu, psc (born 1941)	June 4, 1991	June 3, 1995	3 years, 364 days	–
9	Ahmed, JamalAir Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed ndc, bems, psc (born 1943)	June 4, 1995	June 3, 2001	5 years, 364 days	–
10	Islam, MohammadAir Vice Marshal Mohammad Rafiqul Islam ndu, psc	June 4, 2001	April 8, 2002	308 days	–
11	Azam, FakhrulAir Vice Marshal Fakhrul Azam ndc, psc	April 8, 2002	April 7, 2007	4 years, 364 days	–
12	Rahman, ShahAir Marshal Shah Mohammad Ziaur Rahman ndc, fawc, psc (born 1955)	April 8, 2007	June 12, 2012	5 years, 66 days	–
13	Bari, EnamulAir Marshal Muhammad Enamul Bari BBP, ndu, psc	June 13, 2012	June 12, 2015	2 years, 364 days	–
14	Esrar, AbuAir Chief Marshal Abu Esrar BBP, ndc, acsc (born 1961)	June 12, 2015	June 12, 2018	3 years, 0 days	–
15	Serniabat, MasihuzzamanAir Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat BBP, OSP, ndu, psc (born 1962)	June 12, 2018	June 12, 2021	3 years, 0 days	–
16	Hannan, Shaikh AbdulAir Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan BBP, BUP, nswc, fawc, psc (born 1963)	June 12, 2021	June 11, 2024	2 years, 365 days	^[7]
17	Khan, Hasan MadmoodAir Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan BBP, OSP, GUP, nswc, psc (born 1966)	June 12, 2024	Incumbent	2 years, 21 days	^[8]