Chinese-built tank explodes during live-fire exercise

Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed and an officer was seriously injured on September 9, 2026, when a tank exploded during a live-fire exercise at the Hathazari Field Firing Range in Chattogram.

The Bangladesh Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, known as ISPR, confirmed the accident.

ISPR said the blast happened while the crew was firing the tank’s main gun during a field exercise, killing both soldiers inside and seriously wounding the officer. The wounded officer was airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for treatment. The directorate said it has opened an inquiry and has not yet determined what caused the explosion.

The Bangladesh Army has not officially named the tank involved, but video from the range and multiple local media reports identify it as a Chinese-origin Type 59 main battle tank. The Type 59 is built by Norinco, China’s state-owned defense manufacturer, and is a Chinese-licensed derivative of the Soviet T-54 that entered service with China’s People’s Liberation Army in the late 1950s.

Bangladesh has kept its Type 59 fleet in service for decades rather than retiring it, running many of the older hulls through local upgrade programs. Some have been rebuilt to a higher standard known as the Type 59G Durjoy, which adds modernized fire control, improved protection and updated combat systems. It remains unconfirmed whether the tank involved in Wednesday’s explosion was an older baseline Type 59 or an upgraded Durjoy variant.

Investigators will need to determine whether the blast stemmed from a mechanical failure in the aging vehicle, a problem with the ammunition, or another factor tied to the live-fire exercise. The Bangladesh Army has not said whether firing was suspended at Hathazari following the accident or released the identities of the two soldiers killed.

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