Khaled Mosharraf
Encyclopedia
Khaled Mosharraf (1938 – November 7, 1975) was a Bangladesh
i military officer who was a the Sector Commander of BDF
Sector 2 and K-Force Brigade Commander during the Bangladesh War of Liberation. He was awarded Bir Uttam for his gallantry actions during the war. Although he suffered a bullet injury to his frontal skeletol, he recovered and remained in command of BDF Sector 2. On November 3, 1975, Khaled Musharraf led a military coup against the politicians and military officers who had seized power in Bangladesh
in 1975, but during the military uprising on November 7, he was himself overthrown and assassinated.
of the province of Bengal
, British India (now in Bangladesh). He passed the matriculation
examination from Cox's Bazaar High School in 1953. Graduating from the Dhaka College
in 1955, he joined the Pakistan Army
and enrolled at the Pakistan Military Academy
in Kakul, West Pakistan
. He was appointed adjutant
of the 4th Bengal regiment during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
. He also served as an instructor at the military academy and obtained an advanced degree from the Command and Staff College
in Quetta
in 1968. In addition he also received training in the United Kingdom
and West Germany
.
Cantonment
on 24 March 1971. Mosharraf led this unit in mutiny
following the declaration of independence by Major
Ziaur Rahman
. He merged his unit into a guerrilla force, and later served as one of its leading commanders. After conducting some successful attacks, Mosharraf and his unit were forced to retreat into the India
n state of Tripura
. In an encounter with Pakistani forces, he was wounded by a bullet shot on his head and soon recovered after treatment. Following the Bangladesh liberation war
and the establishment of an independent Bangladesh, Mosharraf was appointed as the Staff Officer to the headquarters of the new Bangladesh Army
in Dhaka
. Attaining the rank of Brigadier, he would be appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff. He was also awarded with the military honour Bir Uttom
by the government for gallantry during the liberation war.
, the country's president on 15 August 1975, a new government composing of anti-Mujib political elements was formed under the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
. Mostaq Ahmad issued the Indemnity Ordinance, which gave immunity from prosecution to the killers of Mujib. Outraged at Mujib's killing and the protection of his killers, Mosharraf mobilised pro-Mujib army units with Col. Shafaat Jamil
of 46 Brigade to overthrow the regime of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad on November 3. He would arrest Ziaur Rahman and other members of the government and would become the army chief elevating himself to the rank of Major General
. His mother and brother had led a commemorative procession to Mujib's family residence without his knowledge. This gave him the false image of being pro-Indian. However, a mutiny consisting of left-wing non enlisted personnel in the army organised and led by radical left wing JSD leader retired Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher
on November 7, during which Mosharraf was assassinated. On the same day, a group of army personnel from 2nd Artillery in Dhaka cantonment rescued Ziaur Rahman
, who reorganised and brought down the mutiny and restored order under state of emergency. Chief Justice and President Abu Sayem restored Major General Ziaur Rahman restored as Chief of Army Staff
.
), several army officers of 10th East Bengal Regiment killed Khaled Mosharraf with his two fellow officers.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i military officer who was a the Sector Commander of BDF
Bdf
BDF or Bdf may refer to:* Ballroom Dancers' Federation* Beiersdorf AG , a multinational corporation based in Hamburg, Germany.* Deutscher Fernschachbund, the German Correspondence Chess Federation...
Sector 2 and K-Force Brigade Commander during the Bangladesh War of Liberation. He was awarded Bir Uttam for his gallantry actions during the war. Although he suffered a bullet injury to his frontal skeletol, he recovered and remained in command of BDF Sector 2. On November 3, 1975, Khaled Musharraf led a military coup against the politicians and military officers who had seized power in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
in 1975, but during the military uprising on November 7, he was himself overthrown and assassinated.
Early life and army career
Khaled Mosharraf was born in the village of Mosharrafganj in Islampur, Jamalpur DistrictJamalpur District
Jamalpur is a district in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. The main Jamalpur town consists of 12 wards and 80 mahallas. The municipality was established in 1869. The area of the town is 53.28 km². The town has a population of 116754; male 51.06%, female 48.94%. Density of population is 2191 per...
of the province of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, British India (now in Bangladesh). He passed the matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
examination from Cox's Bazaar High School in 1953. Graduating from the Dhaka College
Dhaka College
, located in Dhaka, is one of Bangladesh's earliest and most prestigious higher educational institutions. It offers both four years bachelor's and one years masters course in various majors, but it is best known for HSC...
in 1955, he joined the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
and enrolled at the Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy
The Pakistan Military Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service military academy. It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan....
in Kakul, West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
. He was appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the 4th Bengal regiment during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
. He also served as an instructor at the military academy and obtained an advanced degree from the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
in Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in 1968. In addition he also received training in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Liberation War Commander
Major Khaled Mosharraf was appointed commanding officer of the 4th Bengal regiment in the ComillaComilla
Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....
Cantonment
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
on 24 March 1971. Mosharraf led this unit in mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
following the declaration of independence by Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman
President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981...
. He merged his unit into a guerrilla force, and later served as one of its leading commanders. After conducting some successful attacks, Mosharraf and his unit were forced to retreat into the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. In an encounter with Pakistani forces, he was wounded by a bullet shot on his head and soon recovered after treatment. Following the Bangladesh liberation war
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
and the establishment of an independent Bangladesh, Mosharraf was appointed as the Staff Officer to the headquarters of the new Bangladesh Army
Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. Attaining the rank of Brigadier, he would be appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff. He was also awarded with the military honour Bir Uttom
Bir Uttom
Bir Uttom is the second highest award for individual gallantry in Bangladesh after the Bir Sreshtho.Since independence of Bangladesh in 1971, 69 people have been awarded as Bir Uttom....
by the government for gallantry during the liberation war.
Coup of 1975
Following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur RahmanAssassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
The assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took place in the early hours of August 15, 1975, when a group of junior Bangladesh Army officers invaded Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's residence with tanks...
, the country's president on 15 August 1975, a new government composing of anti-Mujib political elements was formed under the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Khondaker Moshtaq Ahmad was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the President of Bangladesh from 15 August to 6 November 1975 after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh...
. Mostaq Ahmad issued the Indemnity Ordinance, which gave immunity from prosecution to the killers of Mujib. Outraged at Mujib's killing and the protection of his killers, Mosharraf mobilised pro-Mujib army units with Col. Shafaat Jamil
Shafaat Jamil
-Early life:He was born on March 1, 1940. His father A.H. Karimullah was an East Pakistan Civil Service Officer. Jamil was educated at Dhaka College, University of Dhaka and Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul....
of 46 Brigade to overthrow the regime of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad on November 3. He would arrest Ziaur Rahman and other members of the government and would become the army chief elevating himself to the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. His mother and brother had led a commemorative procession to Mujib's family residence without his knowledge. This gave him the false image of being pro-Indian. However, a mutiny consisting of left-wing non enlisted personnel in the army organised and led by radical left wing JSD leader retired Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher
Abu Taher
Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher a communist and a left-leaning radical activist of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, responsible for the Soldiers Uprising and the radical breakout that occurred in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh on Nov 7th 1975...
on November 7, during which Mosharraf was assassinated. On the same day, a group of army personnel from 2nd Artillery in Dhaka cantonment rescued Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman
President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi politician and general, who read the declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He later became the seventh President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981...
, who reorganised and brought down the mutiny and restored order under state of emergency. Chief Justice and President Abu Sayem restored Major General Ziaur Rahman restored as Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army
The Chief of the Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army is the professional head of the Bangladesh Army. By virtue of the eminence of the Bangladesh Army amongst the military forces of Bangladesh, he is also regarded as the senior-most defence official in the country...
.
Assassination
On 6 November 1975, Mosharraf with two others fellow officers Colonel Najmul Huda and Colonel A.T.M. Haider, went to 10th East Bengal Regiment. At next morning, on November 7, 1975 at 11 AM, under order of an officer from 2nd Field Regiment Artillery (rumour to be Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed (executed on 28 January 2010 for killing Sheikh Mujibur RahmanSheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
), several army officers of 10th East Bengal Regiment killed Khaled Mosharraf with his two fellow officers.