Liaquat Ali Khan () is a

freedom fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...

of 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 War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. The

Bangladesh government The Cabinet of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের মন্ত্রিসভা) is the chief executive body of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The cabinet is the collective decision-making body of the entire government under ...

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 ...

for his bravery in the independence war.

Birth and education

Liaquat Ali Khan was born in Amlapara, Sarai Road, Bagerhat Municipality, Bagerhat District. His father's name was Atahar Ali Khan and his mother's name was Aziza Khatun. His wife's name is Nazma Anwar Begum. They have one daughter and one son.

Career

In 1971, Liaquat Ali Khan was working in

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 ...

(then

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...

). When the war of liberation started, he came to

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 mos ...

at the end of May saying that his father was ill. A few days later he went to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and joined the war of liberation. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to the rank of

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 1st East Bengal Regiment of the regular forces. In 1975, in the event of a counter-coup, compulsory retirement from the Bangladesh Air Force was granted. He later worked in the Middle East. He then worked as a pilot in Bangladesh Biman. Liaquat Ali Khan was given compulsory retirement from the

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of B ...

in 1985 due to a counter-coup. He later worked in the Middle East. After that he worked as a pilot in

Bangladesh Biman Biman Bangladesh Airlines ( bn, বিমান বাংলাদেশ এয়ারলাইন্স) commonly known as Biman ( bn, বিমান), pronounced (), is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazr ...

. Currently working in a private airline.

Role in the liberation war

Gauripur belongs to

Kanaighat upazila Kanaighat ( bn, কানাইঘাট) is an upazila of Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. It is the second-largest upazila (sub-district) of Sylhet District after Gowainghat Upazila. It is named after the town of Kanaighat, which is also the only ...

(then thana) of

Sylhet district Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট), located in north-east Bangladesh, is the divisional capital and one of the four districts in the Sylhet Division. History Sylhet district was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Bengal Pro ...

. Location of Thana Sadar on the bank of

Surma river The Surma River ( bn, সুরমা নদী) is a major river in Bangladesh, part of the Surma-Meghna River System. It starts when the Barak River from northeast India divides at the Bangladesh border into the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers. ...

on Jaintapur-

Zakiganj Zakiganj ( bn, জকিগঞ্জ) is an upazila of Sylhet District in Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. History There are a few theories behind the name of Zakiganj. The first is that is derived from Shah Zaki, a pir who established a khanqah ...

road. On the border of the Indian state of

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of As ...

. Due to its location,

Kanaighat Kanaighat ( bn, কানাইঘাট) is an upazila of Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. It is the second-largest upazila (sub-district) of Sylhet District after Gowainghat Upazila. It is named after the town of Kanaighat, which is also the only ...

was militarily important to both 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 ...

and the

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 1971.

was a stronghold of the

. Their 31st Punjab Regiment was engaged in defense. There were also

militias A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

and

razakars Razakar (رضا کار) is etymologically an Arabic word which literally means volunteer. The word is also common in Urdu language as a loanword. On the other hand, in Bangladesh, razakar is a pejorative word meaning a traitor or Judas. In Pakista ...

. This was the front line of defense of the

in late November. Because, at that time the front area of

was occupied by the freedom fighters of

, Atgram and Chargram. After capturing

, Atgram and Chargram, the freedom fighters continued to advance towards Sylhet. Liaquat Ali Khan was in this group of freedom fighters. On November 25, they reached Gauripur, two miles from the Kanaighat police station headquarters. They were divided into several groups. They took up positions at various places in Gauripur for the purpose of attacking Kanaighat. On the morning of 26 November, the

suddenly attacked a group of freedom fighters (Alpha Company). In such a situation, there is no other way but counter-attack. The freedom fighters bravely faced the onslaught of the

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 ...

. But even after fighting valiantly, their condition became fragile. Captain

Mahbubur Rahman (Bir Uttam) Mahbubur Rahman may refer to: * Mahbubur Rahman (politician) (1940–2021), Bangladeshi lawyer, politician and a former education minister * Md. Mahbubur Rahman (born 1954), Bangladeshi politician from Patuakhali and a former state minister of wat ...

was the captain of the affected freedom fighters. He was resolutely fighting the attack with his comrades. But at one stage he was martyred by 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 ...

. In this situation Liaquat Ali Khan became the captain on the battlefield. At one stage he was also wounded by enemy bullets. This battle is described in the statement of Captain

Hafizuddin Ahmed Bir Bikrom Hafizuddin Ahmed is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, a retired Bangladesh Army major, and a 6-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Bhola-3 constituency. He fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War and was awarded the ...

(Bir Bikram, later Major). "In the morning, the Pakistani 31st Punjab Regiment attacked our 'A' company position," he said. Company 'A' thwarted the Pakistani attack with utmost determination. In this battle 100 soldiers including a major and a captain of the enemy were killed. On our side, 10-11 people including Captain Mahbub were martyred and about 20 people were injured. After the martyrdom of Captain Mahbub, Flight Lieutenant Liaquat Ali was appointed the commander of the company. He was a former Pakistan Air Force pilot. He had no previous experience in such infantry. Shortly afterwards he was wounded by enemy bullets. Injured, he fought valiantly for a long time. Liaquat Ali Khan was awarded the title of

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 Ban ...

for his courage and valor in the war of liberation. According to the official gazette of 1973, his Heroism Review Number is 73.

Awards and honors

Footnotes

References

{{Bir Uttom Bangladeshi activists People of the Bangladesh Liberation War Recipients of the Bir Bikrom Mukti Bahini personnel