Bangladesh Army promotes Kaniz Fatema, the wheelchair-bound officer, to major

The Bangladesh Army has promoted to major Kaniz Fatema, an officer who has been bound to wheelchair since an accident during training in 2012.

 Army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed promoted her at a function in Dhaka Cantonment’s Army Multipurpose Complex on Saturday.

 Kaniz joined the army in 2011. She broke her spine in an accident on Sept 18, 2012 during training at the Military Academy.

 It was not possible for her to continue the hard and disciplined work of the army, but the “fearless woman did not accept her fate and committed herself to work for the country”, the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate said in a statement.

 The accident put her in a wheelchair, but she continued her work with the help of her colleagues. The army commissioned her in 2013 on special consideration with the 69th BMA Long Course.

 The ISPR said the honour conferred on her by the army will be an example of women’s achievements in Bangladesh.

 The Bangladesh Army began recruiting female officers in 2000 as part of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to ensure women’s empowerment.

 In continuation with that, steps were taken to recruit female soldiers, give unit commands