Major Manzur and Major Nusrat are the first successful paratrooper-couple in Bangladesh. The couple, along with 27 others of the group successfully jumped from a helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) from a height of 2,500 feet in 4th April at the Panichhara Paratrooping zone in Jaintapur upazila near Jalalabad cantonment in Sylhet.
Captain Zannatul Ferdous became the first female paratrooper in Bangladesh the on the 6th of February this year after she successfully jumped from 1,000 feet height.
Special warfare wing of the commando battalion at the School of Infantry & Tactics (SI &T) at the Jalalabad Cantonment conducted the Paratrooping course.
Trainer of the course Major SM Touhidul Islam said that so far over 5,000 members of the army and other defence services took part in the course, introduced in the Army in 1990.
While giving brevet and greeting the successful Paratroopers, at the completion of the parachute landing, Commandant of the School of Infantry & Tactics, Jalalabad Cantonment Brigadier-General Mahbub ul Haque said “it was a milestone for the army – now, we can expect others to come forward”
On successful landing from parachute, an emotion-choked Major Nusrat Al Nuri Chowdhury told this correspondent that it was immensely thrilling to dive, and she felt like touching the sky during the dive. She also added that she is proud to have performed such daring act. Completing the exercise successfully along with her husband, she is hopeful that it would encourage other female in the defence service. She said “I am hopeful to do advanced courses in Paratrooping in future, although those are not yet allowed for female officers.
Major Md. Manzurul Haque said it was a dream of both of them, he hopes that they would go further.
Manzur joined the army in 2002 and now serving as an instructor in the special warfare wing, while Nusrat serves as a staff officer in the Research & Development wing at the SI&T, Jalalabad cantonment. She joined the army in 2003.
Manzur hails from Barisal and Nusrat from Feni.
Source: The Daily Star