Two Bangladesh Army personnel were killed in an accident, and one officer was critically injured in a field firing exercise at the Hathazari Field Firing Range in Chattogram on September 9, 2026. The incident took place when a tank was firing rounds during the military training exercise, said the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR).
The accident has attracted attention to the inherent risks involved in live-fire military exercises where armoured vehicles, ammunition and heavy weapons are used under controlled training conditions.
Two Bangladesh Army Personnel killed
The accident occurred at the Hathazari Field Firing Range at Chattogram by Bangladesh Army staff who were carrying out a firing drill. Two Army personnel died, and another officer was injured in the incident, one of whom was seriously injured.
The injured officer was airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka for advanced medical treatment. The military hospital in the capital was chosen to provide the officer with specialised care following the accident.
The Bangladesh Army has not publicly disclosed any details about the identities of the deceased persons or the cause of the accident at the time of the initial reports.
Investigation Underway
Military investigators are working to determine what caused the accident. The firing exercise will be examined to determine the nature and circumstances of the firing exercise, the equipment used, ammunition used, and procedures at work.
The ISPR said necessary actions are being taken to establish the cause of the incident. We expect to get more details as we go along.
The accident took place during an active field firing exercise in a military training program to train troops to operate weapons systems and armoured vehicles in realistic situations.
🚨 TANK EXPLODES DURING FIRING EXERCISE 🇧🇩💥
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) September 9, 2026
A Chinese-origin Type 69IIG tank reportedly exploded during a firing exercise in Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh.
📍 2 crew members reportedly killed
📍 1 officer reportedly injured
📍 Injured officer shifted to Chittagong CMH
The… pic.twitter.com/N9wojrDxau
Tank involved in firing exercise
Media reports of the incident are that the vehicle was a Chinese Type 59 tank. Bangladesh has already operated and modernized Type 59 tanks, with the latest being the Type 59G Durjoy. The modernised version has several upgrades to the original platform.
But the exact technical cause of the September 9 accident has not been officially determined. It would be premature to attribute the deaths specifically to equipment failure, ammunition malfunction, or an operational error before the military investigation is done.
The difference is important because accidents during live-fire exercises can result from several reasons, and investigators generally look at the whole sequence of events before deciding responsibility or cause.
Risks associated with military training
Live-fire exercises are intended to train military personnel for a combat environment but also bring with them significant dangers. Tanks and other armoured vehicles use high-powered ammunition, and even controlled firing ranges require strict safety procedures.
Military forces typically conduct extensive checks of weapons, ammunition, firing positions and personnel before live exercises take place. The dangers of accidents are still present, however.
The Hathazari incident has once again pointed out the dangers soldiers face when doing work in their daily training sessions. For military forces, such exercises are critical for operational readiness, but accidents can be tragic.
Bangladesh Army is awaiting the findings from the Bangladesh Army’s investigation.
The deaths of the two soldiers have brought condolences and concern, while the injured officer is in Dhaka.
Now the focus is on the official investigation of the Hathazari firing-range accident. The results could help clarify whether the incident was mechanical in nature, ammunition-related, or due to human error.
When authorities release more information on the cause, information on the specific cause should be treated cautiously.
The incident serves as a reminder that military training in controlled environments is inherently dangerous, very real and also not safe. What happened is that the Bangladesh Army needs to know to understand what happened and what should be done to prevent similar accidents from happening in future firing exercises.
