Rear Admiral Khondker Misbah Ul Azim has been appointed as the 18th Chief of the Bangladesh Navy. According to a Ministry of Defence notification, he will assume office on July 23, 2026, after being promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral. His tenure will continue until July 22, 2029, succeeding the current Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan. The Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) confirmed the appointment in a press release on Friday.

Azim joined the Bangladesh Navy on January 1, 1987, and was commissioned in the Executive Branch on July 1, 1989, after completing naval training with distinction at the Royal Malaysian Navy. He holds a PhD in Maritime Governance from the Bangladesh University of Professionals and multiple master’s degrees in strategic, defense, and operational studies. Over nearly four decades, he has held key command and staff positions, including Commander of Chattogram and Dhaka Naval Areas, Commander Submarine, and Commandant of the Bangladesh Naval Academy.

He has also served in UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo and most recently as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Oman, contributing to bilateral relations and expatriate welfare.