Photo credit: X/@ZhengXi1234 NEW DELHI: A Chinese-origin Type 59 tank reportedly exploded in Hathazari, Chattogram, during a live-fire exercise on Wednesday, killing two Bangladesh Army soldiers and seriously injuring an officer.According to Bangladesh’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the accident took place at the Hathazari Field Firing Range while a tank was firing rounds during the exercise. The two soldiers were killed in the incident, while the injured officer was evacuated by helicopter to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for advanced treatment.The Bangladesh Army has ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident.The Army has not officially identified the tank involved. However, social media reports and video footage from the scene indicate that the vehicle appears to be a Chinese-origin Type 59 main battle tank.The Type 59 is China’s domestically produced derivative of the Soviet T-54 main battle tank and has been part of Bangladesh’s armoured inventory for decades.Bangladesh has continued to maintain and upgrade its ageing Chinese-built armoured fleet rather than retire the platforms entirely. The Directorate General of Defence Procurement has previously issued documentation regarding the upgrade of 40 T-59 tanks, along with the modernisation of 58 T-69IIG tanks.The upgrade programme is aimed at extending the operational life of the ageing tanks through improvements to their systems and combat capabilities.The Hathazari incident comes as Bangladesh continues efforts to maintain and modernise its legacy armoured fleet.
