Abdus Salek Choudhury (20 September 1947 - 19 November 1972) was a veteran of

Bangladesh Liberation war The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. For his bravery in the war of independence, the government of Bangladesh awarded him the title of

Bir Uttom Bir Uttom ( bn, বীর উত্তম, lit=Great Valiant Hero) is the second highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh after the Bir Sreshtho and the highest gallantry award for a living individual. Since the independence of Bang ...

. He held the rank of Captain during the war. He served as Commander of Sector-2.

Career

In 1971, Chowdhury served in the Pakistan Army. At that time he was working in Dhaka cantonment. He was in Dhaka in March. He fled on 22 April and joined the Bangladesh Liberation war. Initially, he fought in Comilla under

Khaled Musharraf Khaled Mosharraf, Bir Uttom ( bn, খালেদ মোশাররফ; 9 November 1937 – 7 November 1975) was a Bangladeshi military officer known for his role in the Bangladesh Liberation War. Khaled was the Sector Commander of Banglades ...

(Bir Uttom). Later, when Salda sector was formed, he was appointed as the captain of Salda river sub-sector of sector two. When Khaled Musharraf was injured in October, Major Chowdhury became the commander of the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

'K' Force. At the end of September 1971, the entire area, including Nayanpur, near the Salda river railway station in Brahmanbaria district, was heavily defended by

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

. In September, Pakistani forces strengthened their defenses and the Mukti Bahini attacked led by Chowdhury. They were able to force the Pakistan Army to retreat. Chowdhury managed to attack the rear of the Pakistan Army with artillery support of the Indian Army.

Legacy

On 11 February 2010, a book was published about his life titled "Major Abdus Salek Chowdhury and the Salda War".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Abdus Salek 1946 births 1972 deaths Recipients of the Bir Uttom Bangladesh Army officers People from Dhaka District Mukti Bahini personnel