Susane Giti, a major general and is presently the highest-ranking female officer made her country proud after she become the first woman major general of the Bangladesh army. Brigadier General Susane Giti was performing domestic duties at her home on a sunny September afternoon in 2018 when her phone rang. “You’ve risen to the rank of major general,” said her acquaintance on the other end of the phone.
Giti was born and grew up in Rajshahi and graduated from Govt PN Girls High School with a Secondary School Certificate and Rajshahi Government College with a Higher Secondary Certificate. Giti grew up in an era when parents could only offer their children two professional options. One is a doctor and another is an engineer.
Giti aspired to be a doctor as well, but her motivations were different. Her two brothers motivated her with patient stories. She went on to Rajshahi Medical College for her MBBS. She started her internship after completing her MBBS exam. She started her MMBS journey after getting motivation from her brothers.
Likewise, the decision to join the army was not random. She got the motivation to join the army from her aunt who was Lieutenant Colonel Farida Banu Chowdhury in a Bangladesh Army officer. After seeing her, Giti opted to join the army as well. That is how her journey as a First Female Major General of Bangladesh started.
She enlisted in Bangladesh Army as a captain in the army medical corps on March 15, 1986. She climbed the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and finally brigadier general. She was the head of the pathology department of the Armed Forces Medical College before being the commandant of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.
Her journey was not easy as she faced many hurdles in her way to becoming a first major general. One of the challenges she faced is maintaining a work-life balance because at that time maternity leave was only six weeks long. When Giti had her three children, she had very little time. She was eligible for six-week maternity leave. Two weeks before and four weeks after the birth of a child. At that time, she had no choice but to return to work while her child remained at home. It was quite difficult for her.
Furthermore, Susane Giti, MBBS, MCPS, FCPS, MMAD, husband Brigadier General (retired) Asadullah Md. Hossain Saad was a very brilliant military specialist physician. Giti disclosed that though her journey was quite difficult, Bangladesh Army was very generous in growing her career.
