Overview
The BMA Long Course is the regular commission route into the Bangladesh Army for officers, taken at the Bangladesh Military Academy. Candidates apply through the Join Bangladesh Army portal run by the Army Headquarters. The Army also offers Direct Short Service Commissions in its professional branches, which are separate from the Long Course.
The official pages do not describe the written test or the selection board stages in detail, so this page covers eligibility and application only.
Who can apply
For a regular commission, the Army page lists these requirements:
Age: 16 years 6 months to 21 years on 1 January or 1 July of the year the candidate joins the academy. Serving soldiers of the Armed Forces may be 18 to 23.
Bangladeshi citizen by birth, and unmarried.
For the BMA Long Course, SSC and HSC results with one GPA of 5.00 and the other at least 4.50.
English-medium candidates need either 3 A and 3 B grades from six O-level subjects plus 2 B grades from two A-level subjects, or 2 A, 3 B and 1 C in six O-level subjects plus 1 A and 1 B in two A-level subjects.
Physical standard for men: height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in), weight 54 kg, chest 30 inches normal and 32 inches expanded.
Physical standard for women: height 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in), weight 46 kg, chest 28 inches normal and 30 inches expanded.
Direct short service commission
The professional branches that offer this route for degree holders are the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps, Army Education Corps (including the Judge Advocate General's branch), Corps of Engineers, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Corps and Corps of Signals. Candidates take a specially designed course and receive the rank set for their branch.
Fees
As listed on the portal FAQ in 2026, the application fee is BDT 2,000 in total, with no additional charges.
How to apply
Pay the fee online first. Your username and password arrive by SMS only after payment.
Log in at join.army.mil.bd, enter your SSC and HSC details (board, roll, year) and verify the results. A wrong roll number leads to rejection.
Fill in the rest of the form, check the preview and submit. Nothing can be changed after submission.
Choose a preliminary centre (board) and exam date, which applies to Long Course candidates only, then generate the call-up letter.
Print the call-up letter within 24 hours. You cannot appear for the examination without a properly printed letter.
Do I need to register before filling the form?
No. The FAQ says no registration profile is needed; you pay first and then log in with the details sent by SMS.