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Khaled Mosharraf,
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 ...
( bn, খালেদ মোশাররফ; 9 November 1937 – 7 November 1975) was a Bangladeshi military officer known for his role in the
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 armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali ...
. Khaled was the Sector Commander of Bangladesh Forces Sector 2, leader of the Crack Platoon and K Force (Bangladesh) Brigade Commander during the Bangladesh War of Independence. He fought heroically for Bangladesh's independence and was wounded in front line combat against the
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the 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 British India, which occurred as a result ...
. Under his command K-Force played a crucial role in the unconditional surrender of the Pakistani Army on 16 December 1971. On 23 October, while commanding an operation of the K-Force, Khaled Mosharraf was gravely wounded by enemy fire and required a long period of recovery. Although he suffered a bullet injury, he recovered and remained in command of Bangladesh Forces Sector 2. He is best known as an exceptional combatant who had planned and carried out
guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run ta ...
from deep within the jungles of
Melaghar Melaghar is a small town located in the Indian state of Tripura and a Municipal Council in Sipahijala district, situated about 50 km (approx. 30 miles) from the capital Agartala. It is a neighbour to Sonamura and 10 km (6 miles) awa ...
. More than thirty five thousand guerilla fighters fought under Khaled's command in sector 2. Following independence, he was raised to the rank of
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
– the highest rank in the army at that time –and appointed Chief of Army Staff. He was awarded
Bir Uttam 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 ...
for his gallantry during the war. On 3 November 1975, Mosharraf led a coup against the Mushtaq Administration who had conspired and seized power in Bangladesh following the assassination of President
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...
, but during the military uprising on 7 November, he was himself overthrown and assassinated.


Early life and army career

Khaled Mosharraf was born in the village of Mosharraf Ganj in Islampur,
Jamalpur district Jamalpur ( bn, জামালপুর জেলা, ''Jamalpur Jela'' also ''Jamalpur Zila'') is a district in Bangladesh, part of the Mymensingh Division. It was established in 1978. Geography Jamalpur occupies 2031.98 km2. It is locat ...
, of the province of
Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
(now in Bangladesh). He was born on 9 November 1937 at village Mosharrafganj in Islampur upazila of Jamalpur District, to Mosharraf Hossain and Jamila Akhter. His father was a jute merchant, Khaled's hometown Moshharrafganj was named after his father. He moved to stay with his maternal uncle SR khan, who was serving as C&B Engineer in
Cox’s Bazar Cox's Bazar (; bn, কক্সবাজার, Kôksbajar; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in Southeastern Bangladesh. It is located south of the city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the na ...
. He passed the
matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...
examination from
Cox's Bazar Government High School Cox's Bazar Government High School is a secondary boys' school in Cox's Bazar, the administrative headquarters of the district in Bangladesh of the same name. It was founded in 1874. It is located on the north-east side of ''Bir-Sreshtho Ruhul Ami ...
in 1953. He gained admission in
Dhaka College Dhaka College ( bn, ঢাকা কলেজ also known as DC) is the oldest secular educational institution of Bangladesh located in Dhaka. It offers higher secondary education ( HSC). It has Honours and Masters programs as well which are aff ...
from where he started his journey as political activist during that time. Khaled Mosharraf was often described as a brilliant student with excellent oratory skill. As a young student, he was active in political events of the then
East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wit ...
's language movement of 1952. He was elected one of the panel secretaries of Dhaka College
Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...
. Graduating from the Dhaka College in 1955, he joined the
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the 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 British India, which occurred as a result ...
. He became an
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
of the 4th Bengal regiment during the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
. He served as an instructor at the military academy and obtained an advanced degree from the Command and Staff College in
Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
. He was trained in
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
before becoming commander of the 4th Bengal Regiment during the Bangladesh Liberation War.


Bangladesh Forces Commander in the War of Independence

After 25 March 1971, the Pakistan Army occupied the capital,
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest ...
, and the rest of the country and carried out brutal
1971 Bangladesh Genocide The genocide in Bangladesh began on 25 March 1971 with the launch of Operation Searchlight, as the government of Pakistan, dominated by West Pakistan, began a military crackdown on East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to suppress Bengali call ...
. Major Mosharraf was appointed commanding officer of the 4th battalion of East Bengal Regiment in Comilla
Cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...
on 24 March 1971. Of all three Brigade Commanders, Khaled Mosharraf was the one who most accurately assessed the psychological aspect of the war. Khaled decided to adopt a two-pronged, mutually reinforcing strategy to fight Pakistan Army and he was successful on both counts. He led his brigade in
mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among memb ...
following the declaration of independence on behalf of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali polit ...
26 March 1971. As early as the last week of March, Khaled contacted Rehman Sobhan to convince the political leadership that a Government is formed with immediate effect, and to formally commission Mukti Bahini as the Army of Independent Bangladesh. As Khaled felt without a Government and commission, Mukti Bahini would be considered illegitimate rebels or terrorists in the eyes of the law and Pakistan Government could take advantage of that situation. Khaled’s request had been duly inscribed in the declaration by
Tajuddin Ahmad Tajuddin Ahmad ( bn, তাজউদ্দীন আহমদ; ; 23 July 1925 – 3 November 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician and statesman. He led the Provisional Government of Bangladesh as its prime minister during the Bangladesh Liberatio ...
. Later the ‘legally constituted’ in this oath of freedom fighters was also commanded by Khaled. On the evening of 26 March, he announced, "From this moment on, I pledge allegiance to sovereign Bangla. From this day, we have no loyalties to Pakistan. Raise the flags of independent Bangla." He merged his unit into a guerrilla
force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a ...
and later served as one of its leading commanders. In the article “Khaled Musharraf, Bir Uttam - The Commander”, the author wrote: Khaled Mosharraf successfully led The Crack Platoon, a guerrilla unit in Sector 2. The first guerrilla operation of Crack Platoon was carried out in Dhaka on 9 June 1971. Khaled raised this special guerrilla force composed of the students of the city’s major educational institutions, young professionals, and political activists of Dhaka. Under Khaled's leadership Crack Platoon carried out number of heroic operations in the Pakistan Army occupied capital and around
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest ...
. Bombs were exploded and major Power stations were blown up. From June 1971 onwards, these guerrilla units started launching attacks one after the other on different establishments in the city including Intercontinental Hotel Dhaka and USIS Building using
hit-and-run tactics Hit-and-run tactics are a tactical doctrine of using short surprise attacks, withdrawing before the enemy can respond in force, and constantly maneuvering to avoid full engagement with the enemy. The purpose is not to decisively defeat the en ...
. The occupying Pakistan army failed to organise any auxiliary force in support of its occupation in Dhaka. Khaled mosharraf played a key role in the historical meeting of Teliapara. The meeting was attended by
M. A. G. Osmani Muhammad Ataul Goni Osmani ( bn, মুহাম্মদ আতাউল গণি ওসমানী; 1 September 1918 – 16 February 1984), also known as ''Bangabir'' (the Hero of Bengal), was a Bengali military leader. Osmani's career ...
, Major
Ziaur Rahman Lt. General Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981), was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup ...
, Major
K M Shafiullah Kazi Mohammed Shafiullah Bir Uttam (born 2 September 1934), also known as K. M. Shafiullah, is a retired Bangladeshi general, former Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, and former Member of Parliament. As the Second in Command of Second ...
, Major Shafayat Jamil, and Major
Kazi Nuruzzaman Kazi Nuruzzaman Bir Uttom (24 March 1925 – 6 May 2011) was a Bangladeshi war hero and secular nationalist, who served as one of the principal commanders of the Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He also rejected Bir Uttam Award as ...
and few other officers of Revolted Bengal Regiment. Major Khaled’s role was instrumental to make Bangladesh Forces of the Liberation War a formidable and sustainable and few officer who were presentbat the historic Telipara meeting acknowledged the fact that Khaled Mosharraf had set the trend and planned strategy to fight against the Pakistan Army It was decided The whole area of
East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wit ...
would be divided into 11 sectors with the direction of regular forces consisted of the three forces: Z Force (Bangladesh) under the command of Major Ziaur Rahman, K Force (Bangladesh) under Khaled Mosharraf and S Force (Bangladesh) under K M Shafiullah. Khaled built the largest training center and operations headquarters for Bangladesh's freedom fighters in
Melaghar Melaghar is a small town located in the Indian state of Tripura and a Municipal Council in Sipahijala district, situated about 50 km (approx. 30 miles) from the capital Agartala. It is a neighbour to Sonamura and 10 km (6 miles) awa ...
,
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...
in 1971. He was determined not give the occupying Pakistan Army in Dhaka a moment's relief. Sector No. 2's daring campaigns covered a vast territory including Dhaka, Comilla,
Noakhali Noakhali ( bn, নোয়াখালী, , New canal), historically known as Bhulua ( bn, ভুলুয়া), is a district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officia ...
, Madaripur and Shariatpur. While the war was ongoing, the K Force was created under his leadership. Under his command, the valiant fighters of the Crack Platoon and K Force led one audacious operation after another and constantly routed the Pakistani army. Due to the properly strategised operations of this sector the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in between was denied to the Pakistanis throughout the nine months of war of liberation and stretched Pakistan Army's supply lines, which made it exceptionally difficult for Pak Junta to conduct counterinsurgency measures inside Bangladesh. Khaled merged his unit into a guerrilla force and later served as one of its leading commanders. Guerrilla fighter Shafi Imam Rumi took training for the war in
Melaghar Melaghar is a small town located in the Indian state of Tripura and a Municipal Council in Sipahijala district, situated about 50 km (approx. 30 miles) from the capital Agartala. It is a neighbour to Sonamura and 10 km (6 miles) awa ...
,
Agartala Agartala () is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is one of the largest cities in northeast India. The city is governed by the Agartala Municipal Corporation. The city is the seat of the Government of Tripura. It is located ...
under Sector-2, supervised by Mosharraf and
Abu Taher Mohammad Haider Abu Taher Mohammad Haider, Bir Uttom (12 January 1942 – 7 November 1975) was a Bangladesh Army officer and recipient of Bir Uttom, the second highest military award in Bangladesh. He fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War as the second-in-c ...
. After his training, he came to Dhaka to join the Crack Platoon, a group that conducted major guerrilla operations against the Pakistan Army. His major target was to bomb the Siddhirganj Power Station. Khaled and his forces didn't rest after targeting structures inside the capital, he was determined to hamper the Pakistan Army’s supply line, hence, he devised strategies to destroy bridges and culverts across Bangladesh. At the end of June 1971, Shahadat Chowdhury and Habibul Alam came to Rumi's ( Son of
Jahanara Imam Jahanara Imam (3 May 1929 – 26 June 1994) was a Bangladeshi writer and political activist. She is known for her efforts to bring those accused of committing war crimes in the Bangladesh Liberation War to trial. She has been called "Shaheed Ja ...
) father Sharif's house with a letter from Khaled Mosharraf. Khaled asked for information on bridges and culverts of Bangladesh to hamper the Pakistani occupation army's movement. Khaled sent a letter asking the experts and engineers for detailed information to identify the structural weaknesses in each bridge, and also on the exact points where to set explosives so that the bridge will not only be damaged, but also s be repaired easily after the country is liberated. In the book “Bullets of 1971”,the author wrote, “khaled revolted against the
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
authority in Brahmanbaria, where he was stationed at that time. He led the Bengali soldiers under his command out of the pakistani
cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...
and ambushed a Pakistani
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
going to
Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in ...
. Major khaled's troop destroyed the enemy convoy. The damage to the enemy was unprecedented. In retaliation pakistan authority sent a larger contingent under the command of a
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
to capture Khaled dead or alive. Major khaled fought ferociously against the enemy with limited resources. However, once again, the
Pakistani Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the 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 British India, which occurred as a result ...
suffered heavy damages at Major khaled Mossharraf's hands and the enemy was forced to retreat. After the battle Pakistan High Command acknowledged the bravery of Major khaled Mosharrof and admitted, "We have trained Major Khaled so well that even a Major General wasn't enough to defeat him." Khaled Mosharraf was also held in high esteem by his Freedom Fighter colleagues who fought under him during the liberation war. Freedom fighter Habibul Alam, Bir Pratik in his book "Brave of Hearts" wrote: Following the Bangladesh War of Independence and the establishment of an independent
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
, Mosharraf was appointed as the staff officer to the HQ of the new
Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and defe ...
in Dhaka. In 1973 after attaining the rank of
brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...
, he was appointed to the post of Chief of General Staff. He was also awarded the military honour ''
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 ...
'' for gallantry by the independent government of Bangladesh in 1972.


Coup of 1975

Following the assassination of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...
, the country's president, on 15 August 1975, a new government composing of anti-Mujib political elements was formed under
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (also spelled Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed; – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was part ...
. Mushtaq Ahmad immediately took control of the situation, proclaiming himself as president. Major General
Ziaur Rahman Lt. General Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981), was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981. He was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chittagong in an army coup ...
was appointed as Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, replacing
K M Shafiullah Kazi Mohammed Shafiullah Bir Uttam (born 2 September 1934), also known as K. M. Shafiullah, is a retired Bangladeshi general, former Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, and former Member of Parliament. As the Second in Command of Second ...
. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad praised those derailed military officials (killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) calling them shurjo shontan (sons of the sun). These disgruntled officers who killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman captured the Bangabhaban (president's official residence) and started dictating the President, causing extreme chaos in the barely four year old Nation. Khaled Mosharraf, who was the Chief of General staff of
Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and defe ...
, had asked Ziaur Rahman for the chain of command in Bangladesh Army to be restored which had been rudely interrupted in 15 August. But the Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh) General Ziaur Rahman, did not display the slightest ability or intention or both to act against the killers. Ahmed also ordered 4 national leaders (former Vice-President Syed Nazrul Islam, former
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
of Bangladesh Tajuddin Ahmed and Captain (Rtd.) Mansur Ali, and former Home Minister A H M Quamruzzaman to be put behind the bar as they declined to support the "illegitimate government" and eventually killed just ahead of a counter-coup that ousted the August plotters. The prosecution evidence suggested Mushtaq himself had ordered the assassins entry inside the prison to kill the four leaders.
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (also spelled Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed; – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was part ...
even issued the Indemnity Ordinance, which gave immunity from prosecution to the killers of Mujib, later the ordinance was passed by Ziaur Rahman. Outraged at Mujib's killing and the protection of his killers, khaled Mosharraf mobilized pro-Mujib army units with Colonel Shafaat Jamil of 46 Brigade to overthrow Ahmad's regime on 3 November. His main motive was to bring back the chain-of-command in the Bangladesh Army, and to achieve that Khaled Mosharraf decided to stop these killers residing inside the Bangabhaban and staged a coup d'état among the Army. On 3 November 1975, under his order, the Bangladesh Army brought an end to the illegal rule of
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (also spelled Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed; – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975, after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was part ...
. Khaled Mosharraf freed
Bangabhaban The Bangabhaban ( bn, বঙ্গভবন ''Bôngobhôbôn'', lit. ''House of Bengal'') is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of Bangladesh, located on Bangabhaban Road, and short road connecting Dilkusha Avenue, ...
from the occupation of the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In accordance with his order, the Chief of Military Staff of the Bangladesh Army Major General Ziaur Rahman was put under house arrest. After he had Ziaur Rahman and other members of the government arrested, Khaled took charge as Chief of Army Staff. Mosharraf installed Justice
Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (29 March 1916 – 8 July 1997) was a Bangladeshi jurist and statesman. He was first Chief Justice of Bangladesh from 1972 to 1975. He became the President of Bangladesh in the aftermath of counter-coups in November 197 ...
as president. It is said that, "To all intents and purposes, Khaled was certainly on the right track in creating the conditions that would free the country of the usurpers who had been in charge since mid-August 1975. But, then, his strategy went wrong in the matter of sustaining his coup." After assassination of
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengali politi ...
, no one could get into the street to protest. A procession was brought out from the Dhaka University area to Bangabandhu’s Dhanmondi Residence to pay homage to Bangabandhu. Khaled’s mother and brother Rashed Mosharraf had led a commemorative procession to Mujib's family residence without his knowledge. However, a mutiny on 7 November consisting of left-wing non-enlisted personnel in the army, organized and led by the radical left-wing JSD leader
Abu Taher Abu Taher ( bn, আবু তাহের) (14 November 1938 – 21 July 1976) was a Bengali military serviceman, who served in the Pakistan Army, and later in BDF. He crossed into India around early August and reported to the Indian autho ...
, resulted in the assassination of Mosharraf. Describing the 7 November Mutiny Captain Sachin Karmakar in
The Daily Observer (Bangladesh) The Daily Observer is an English-language newspaper in Bangladesh. The founding editor is Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, who was formerly editor of ''The Bangladesh Observer''. History ''The Daily Observer'' hit the stands in Bangladesh on 1 Februa ...
wrote: As recorded by history,
7 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
was launched by left winger Colonel
Abu Taher Abu Taher ( bn, আবু তাহের) (14 November 1938 – 21 July 1976) was a Bengali military serviceman, who served in the Pakistan Army, and later in BDF. He crossed into India around early August and reported to the Indian autho ...
. He organized the soldiers loyal to him to free Ziaur Rahman who had been put under House Arrest. Some jawans from the Bengal Lancers and 2 Field Artillery came over to urge the 10th
East Bengal ur, , common_name = East Bengal , status = Province of the Dominion of Pakistan , p1 = Bengal Presidency , flag_p1 = Flag of British Bengal.svg , s1 = Ea ...
troops to join the mutiny. The trouble seemed to have spread rapidly. Pro Abu Taher forces broke into the military armoury to loot stockpiles weapons and boarded military trucks in order to take control of all the key installations points (KIP) around the city. A contingent of soldiers went in military chief's residence in
Dhaka Cantonment Dhaka Cantonment ( bn, ঢাকা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in the northern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Army, and Air Force are situated within the cantonment which combined form the ...
and freed Ziaur Rahman from house arrest. Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider tried to resist the coup, but it became impossible as pro-Zia forces arrayed against him and they were spreading the lie that he was an Indian/Russian agent. As soon as Ziaur Rahman became free, they were killed by pro Ziaur-Taher officers. Major Jalil and Major Assad shot General Khaled, Colonel Hayder and Colonel K.N Huda in a coup .


Assassination

On 6 November 1975, Major General Mosharraf, with two other fellow officers, Colonel Najmul Huda and Lt. Colonel A.T.M. Haider, went to the 10th East Bengal Regiment. Next morning, i.e., on 7 November 1975, at 11 am, under the order of an officer from the 2nd Field Regiment Artillery (rumoured to be Lieutenant Colonel
Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohiuddin Ahmed (died 28 January 2010) was a Bangladesh Army officer who was convicted of the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On 28 January 2010, Ahmed was hanged along with Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Syed Faro ...
, later executed on 28 January 2010 for killing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), Captain Asad and Captain Jalil of the 10th East Bengal Regiment shot and killed Mosharraf and his two fellow officers. Ironically, both Asad and Jalil fought in
K force Australia entered the Korean War on 28 September 1950, following the invasion of South Korea by North Korea. The war's origins began in the context of Japan's defeat in World War II which heralded the end to 35 years of Japanese occupation of ...
under Mosharraf during the Bangladesh Liberation War, and Mosharraf had once saved Asad's life while risking his own. Mosharraf's body was left under a date tree inside the cantonment for a certain amount of time. The way the killing of Major General Khaled Mosharraf took place, changed the course of the Bangladesh’s fate forever.


Personal life

Khaled Mosharraf was survived by his wife Salma Khaled and three daughters Mahjabeen, Ammereen and Taireen. His eldest daughter
Mahjabeen Khaled Mahjabeen Khaled (born 16 December 1966) is a Bangladeshi politician from the Bangladesh Awami League party. She is Member of Parliament (MP) in the Jatiya Sangsad from her ancestral area of Islampur Upazila in Jamalpur District of Mymensingh Di ...
was a Member of Parliament (MP) from her ancestral area of
Islampur Upazila Islampur ( bn, ইসলামপুর) is an Upazila of Jamalpur District in the Division of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Geography Islampur is located at . It has 51671 households and total area 343.02 km2. Demographics According to the 201 ...
in
Jamalpur District Jamalpur ( bn, জামালপুর জেলা, ''Jamalpur Jela'' also ''Jamalpur Zila'') is a district in Bangladesh, part of the Mymensingh Division. It was established in 1978. Geography Jamalpur occupies 2031.98 km2. It is locat ...
of
Mymensingh Division Mymensingh Division ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ বিভাগ) is one of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It has an area of and a population of 11,370,000 as of the 2011 census. It was created in 2015 from districts prev ...
. She also served as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mahjabeen Khaled Mahjabeen Khaled (born 16 December 1966) is a Bangladeshi politician from the Bangladesh Awami League party. She is Member of Parliament (MP) in the Jatiya Sangsad from her ancestral area of Islampur Upazila in Jamalpur District of Mymensingh Di ...
is also the Chairperson of Khaled Mosharraf Trust. Khaled’s brother Rashed Mosharraf was the President of Bangladesh Krishak League. Rashed Mosharraf was elected to the parliament from his Jamalpur constituency six times and served as a minister of state.


Portrayal

Mosharraf was portrayed in 1974 film Sangaram as the character named Major Hassan. Darashiko was acted as the character.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khaled Mosharraf 1938 births 1975 deaths 1975 murders in Bangladesh Mosharraf, Khaled People murdered in Bangladesh Recipients of the Bir Uttom Bangladesh Army generals Dhaka College alumni People from Jamalpur District Deaths by firearm in Bangladesh