Tarique Ahmed Siddique

Tarique Siddique
Tarique in 2022
Defence and Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
In office 25 January 2009 – 5 August 2024
Prime Minister	Sheikh Hasina
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	TBD
Military service
Allegiance	Bangladesh
Branch/service	Bangladesh Army
Years of service	1975-2004
Rank	Major General
Unit	Corps of Engineers
Commands	Engineer-in-Chief of Army Headquarters Deputy Director General of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence Commander of 14th Independent Engineers Brigade

Tarique Ahmed Siddique is a retired major general of the Bangladesh Army and the former defence and security adviser to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.^[1][2]

Tarique Ahmed Siddique is the younger brother of Shafique Ahmed Siddique, the husband of Sheikh Rehana, the only surviving sister of Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.^[3]

Siddique was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers on 11 January, 1975. He served as Platoon Leader and Company 2 i/c in Savar Engineering Brigade until 1976, when he was promoted to Lieutenant. Promoted to Captain in 1978, he served as GSO-3 (Engrs) of Rangpur Cantonment and Company Commander in Bandarban. He was promoted to Major in 1983, he served as an Adjutant of an Engineers Battalion in Alikadam till 1985 and as Commander of a Bangladesh Rifles Battalion in Khagrachhari till 1987. Thereafter he served as Brigade Major of 21st Infantry Brigade in Jessore until 1989. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1989 when he served in the DGFI, from where he was removed in 1991. From 1991 to 1994 he served as Staff Officer in Ansar and Village Defence Party Headquarters and from 1994 to 1996, as Deputy Chief Instructor in Engineer Centre and School of Military Engineering (ECSME). He was promoted to Colonel in 1996 and served for a time as Commanding Officer of 9 Engrs Battalion in Savar, and thereafter in the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence until 1998, after which he was assigned to the Special Security Force. He was promoted to Brigadier in 1999. From 2000 to 2001 he served as Deputy Commander of 9th Infantry Division (Bangladesh)^[4] From 17 November 2001 to 17 March 2002 he served as the Engineer in Chief of the Bangladesh Army.^[5] He was promoted to Major General in 2003 and served as Senior Instructor (Army) in Defense Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) Mirpur.

After retirement from active service he was appointed as chief of personal security to Sheikh Hasina when she was the opposition leader. He was present during 2004 Dhaka grenade attack which tried to assassinate Sheikh Hasina.^[6][7] He was appointed to the post of Adviser to Prime Minister in 2009.^[8] He advises the Prime Minister on anti-terrorism activities.^[9] He inaugurated the Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange in 2016.^[10] He is a graduate of Defence Services Command & Staff College (DSCSC) Bangladesh. He has done RCDS course from Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) London, United Kingdom.

In 2012, a report by Salah Choudhury published in openDemocracy raised allegations that Colonel Shahid Uddin Khan was engaged in influence peddling and corrupt practices with the backing of Siddique. According to the report Khan has a number of business in which Siddique's wife and daughter are shareholders.^[11] According to an Al Jazeera Investigative Unit report, published on 29 March 2019, Siddique used intelligence agencies to abduct employees of a business associate. The business associate, Colonel Shahid Uddin Khan, is currently in exile in the United Kingdom. The family members of men have no heard from them since their abduction. As defence advisor, he had control over the intelligence agencies and military of Bangladesh.^[12]

It is alleged that Tarique Ahmed Siddique was one of the masterminds of the formation of the ‘Aynaghar’, an arbitrary detention and torture cell of the Awami League Government.^[13]