Military Hardware Display 2024: A peek into what it takes to defend the country

At around noon on 26 March, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, the weather was extremely hot, with the sun blazing down on the earth. 

Despite the intense heat, a long line of approximately 60 people, mostly young individuals aged between 15 and 20, formed at the center of the National Parade Square in the capital's Tejgaon Old Airport.

Even though they were sweating profusely, there was a palpable sense of excitement on all their faces. They anticipated an experience unlike any other: they were going to have para commando exercises for the first time in their life, that too under the direct supervision of army personnel themselves.

The biggest line was for knife throwing, as it posed the least risk. But at the same time, some youths were also jumping in excitement for rope traversing and helicopter extraction.

For rope traversing, there was a tower at one side and a mini pole on the other, and participants were crossing through the free space between those two on a rope, without a hand cart or anything of the sort.

In the helicopter extraction challenge, the adventure escalated further. Five participants at a time clung onto the rope as a military vehicle, simulating a helicopter-like experience by extending a long pole, seemingly flew them in the air after "rescuing" them.

"It's the most memorable day of my life. For a moment, I felt like I had my heart in my hands. But from now onwards, I will respect the military personnel ten times more than before. They are indeed the real heroes," said a 16-year-old Sadat after finishing his adventure.

Sadat's face was clearly gleaming with joy as he couldn't wait to log into his social media account and inform everyone what he had just done.

"Coming to this military hardware display despite fasting has certainly paid off," he further shared with me. He now understood the kinds of risks that military personnel take to safeguard the people, adding that initially he thought that the display would be limited to the exhibition of some military vehicles and artillery only.

Nevertheless, such exhibitions were no less of an attraction for many others, as hundreds of school and college students, as well as young children holding their parents' hands, crowded around the display.

Clearly, the main attraction of the display was the combat tanks. Almost everyone was climbing onto the tanks to take pictures of themselves. The youngest children seemed especially ecstatic, as they were awestruck by the size of the vehicle.

"I have never seen a tank in person before. I like how massive and ferocious it looks," a five-year-old Prapti told me. She was also loving the patriotic songs being sung and poems being recited in the background, as evident from the way she was nodding her head to the rhythm.

In addition to tanks, there were also hundreds of other heavy and light hardware used by the army, navy, and air force troops. The list included infantry fighting vehicles, machine guns, missiles, rifles, grenade launchers, munitions, launch rockets, aircraft carriers, heavy craft bridges and much more.

But unlike the tanks, there was a prohibition against touching or riding on most other hardware, which was met with extreme disappointment by the young audiences. But some still found the silver lining in this.

"Once I too become a member of the force, no one would be able to stop me!" I heard a student from the Adamjee Cantonment Public School telling his friends. Interestingly, no one laughed at his remark; rather, they seemed to have taken this very seriously.

In total, there were 59 stalls and pavilions, each showcasing the contributions and bravery of the armed forces during the Liberation War in 1971. Additionally, these stalls and pavilions displayed the activities of the armed forces in nation-building since 1971, and their significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions.

"I often tell my kids about the military forces and how formidable they are. I also tell them the tales of 1971. But certainly, they don't always grasp the intensity of this. So, today I have brought them here to experience firsthand how the armed forces work," said Maruf Hasan, a private sector employee.

According to Maruf, he himself had wanted to join the armed forces, but due to some health problems since childhood, he couldn't pursue this career. However, he hopes that both his son and daughter, aged five and three respectively, will one day join the armed forces.

"It's a good opportunity to grow their interest from a tender age," Maruf believes.

Meanwhile, an army captain, who requested not to be named, came to the display with his wife and children. He told me that he was really amazed by the number of visitors coming to the display on the very first day, despite the extreme heat and it being in the middle of Ramadan.

"The weather isn't ideal for civilians to leave their homes on a national holiday. However, the attendance so far has been very positive. It demonstrates how much people admire the armed forces and take interest in them," he said.

Notably, the display opened for visitors on March 26 and will remain open until March 30, from 10 am to 4 pm. It was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 24 March, and President Mohammed Shahabuddin also paid his visit to the display on 25 March.