Mahbub Ali Khan
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan (Bengali
: রিয়ার অ্যাডমিরাল মাহবুব আলী খান) (3 November 1934 – 6 August 1984) was the Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy
since 1979 till his death in 1984. He is known for his heroic actions done for his country. Under him the South Talpatti sandbar and other emerging islands in the Bay of Bengal
, over which both India and Bangladesh
claimed sovereignty, remained under the authority of Bangladesh. He is also known for bringing down the pirates in the Bay of Bengal and was responsible for maintaining the security of the Bay and the Sundarbans
.
in north-east Bangladesh
. He was the youngest child among the three children of Ahmed Ali Khan and Jubaida Khatun. His father was the first Muslim Barrister in Sylhet as who became a barrister in 1901 and was a Member of Legislative Assembly of All-India Muslim League, who was also the President of the Assam Congress during the British rule in the sub-continent
. Mahbub Ali Khan's grandfather was an eminent doctor in Calcutta and was personal physician to the Bihari Shia lawyer-politician Syed Hasan Imam
, the top barrister of Calcutta High Court and leader of the Indian National Congress
. Mahbub Ali khan's great-uncle Ghazanfar Ali Khan OBE ICS was the first Muslim Cambridge graduate from Sylhet. Mahbub was also the cousin of General M. A. G. Osmani
, the Supreme Commander of Bangladesh Forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War
. Mahbub Ali Khan spent his childhood in the Sylhet District
and Kolkata
. After the partition of India (1947), his family moved to Dhaka
in East Pakistan. He received his primary education in Kolkata
and Dhaka
and has spent his college time in Dhaka College
. Later he took a law degree. So for four generations, the Khan family have been taking qualifications in law and medicine a feat very rare among Bengali Muslims. Mahbub's niece is the Harvard educated Irene Khan
, former head of Amnesty International.
In 1952 Mahbub Ali Khan joined the executive branch of the Pakistan Navy as a cadet. Mahbub Ali Khan received his training as a cadet in a military school in Quetta
of West Pakistan. For higher training he went to finish his graduation at Britannia Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth
, England. After his graduation he married Sayeeda Iqbal Manda Banu in 1955. They had two daughters – Shahina Khan and Zubaida Khan. On 1 May 1956, Mahbub Ali Khan received his standing commission. In 1960 he became the Gunnery officer of P.N.S (Pakistani Naval Ship) Tughril. In 1963, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
awarded him for being a disciplined officer. In 1964 he became the torpedo and anti-submarine officer of P.N.S Tippu Sultan. From 1967-68 he served the Pakistan Navy
as the Joint Chiefs’ Secretariat Staff officer in the Defense Ministry in Rawalpindi
of West Pakistan. In 1970 he became the officer in charge of the torpedo and anti-submarine school in the P.N.S Himalaya and in the West Pakistani city of Karachi
he served as the Seaward defence officer.
. From Afghanistan he went to India and then finally to his motherland, Bangladesh.
and Personnel) of the Bangladesh Navy
. In December 1976 the Royal Navy
of the United Kingdom sold a Salisbury class frigate to Bangladesh which came to be known as B.N.S (Bangladeshi Naval Ship) Umar Farooq
. The ship arrived in Bangladesh on 27 March 1977. Mahbub Ali Khan became the captain of the B.N.S Umar Farooq and with this ship he travelled to the ports of Algeria
, Yugoslavia
, Egypt
, Saudi Arabia
and Sri Lanka
. On 4 November 1979, Mahbub Ali Khan became the Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy and on 1 January 1980 he grew to the rank of Rear Admiral
.
Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan worked hard to modernise the Bangladesh Navy. In the aftermath of the Bhola cyclone in 1970, a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform called the South Talpatti sandbar emerged in the Bay of Bengal. Although South Talpatti was uninhabited and there were no permanent settlements or stations located on it, both India and Bangladesh claimed sovereignty over it because of speculation over the existence of oil and natural gas in the region. Under Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan, the sandbar remained under Bangladeshi authority. During his time the Bangladesh Navy was also able to bring down the pirates in the Bay of Bengal. Mahbub Ali Khan also took possible measures to maintain the security of the Sundarbans.
rule, besides being the head of the Navy, Mahbub Ali Khan also served as the minister of telecommunications. Mahbub Ali Khan was also a member of President Zia's temporarily formed party called JAGODAL. In 1982, when martial law
was imposed in Bangladesh, Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan was appointed as the deputy chief martial law administrator of the country. At that time he also became an adviser of the Ministry of Communications. From 10 July 1982 to 1 June 1984, he served as a minister of the Ministry of Communications. Till his death, he served as the Minister of Agriculture in the country. During the time of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad's rule, besides being the Minister of Agriculture, Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan also kept on his efforts to continue the Green and Agricultural Movement, which was started by President Ziaur Rahman.
Mahbub Ali Khan had good relationships with almost all the great leaders of the country. After his return to Bangladesh, after the Liberation War
, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
specially appointed Mahbub Ali Khan to modernise the navy. Rezaur Rahman, elder brother of President Ziaur Rahman, was a colleague of Mahbub Ali Khan in the navy. So, Mahbub Ali Khan also had some good relationship with President Zia as well. Zubaida Khan, the younger daughter of Mahbub Ali Khan is also the wife of Tarique Rahman, the elder son of President Ziaur Rahman.
in Dhaka to investigate an air crash in that area. There, while investigating the air crash, Mahbub Ali Khan had a heart attack and he was quickly taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where he died at the age of 49. His burial place is at the Banani defence graveyard in Dhaka.
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Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: রিয়ার অ্যাডমিরাল মাহবুব আলী খান) (3 November 1934 – 6 August 1984) was the Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy
Bangladesh Navy
The Bangladesh Navy is the naval arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. At present the navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, however it is implementing an ambitious procurement and expansion program to ensure the security of Bangladesh's maritime boundary...
since 1979 till his death in 1984. He is known for his heroic actions done for his country. Under him the South Talpatti sandbar and other emerging islands in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, over which both India and 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...
claimed sovereignty, remained under the authority of Bangladesh. He is also known for bringing down the pirates in the Bay of Bengal and was responsible for maintaining the security of the Bay and the Sundarbans
Sundarbans
The Sundarbans [Sundarban Tour Booking-9051115228] is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language...
.
Early life
Mahbub Ali Khan was born on 3 November 1934 in Birahimpur of the Sylhet DistrictSylhet District
The district of Sylhet consists 6754 mosques, 453 temples, 96 churches and four Buddhist temples.-Places of Interests:-Historical:#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran#Shahi Eidgah#Gour Govinda Fort#Kean Bridge...
in north-east 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...
. He was the youngest child among the three children of Ahmed Ali Khan and Jubaida Khatun. His father was the first Muslim Barrister in Sylhet as who became a barrister in 1901 and was a Member of Legislative Assembly of All-India Muslim League, who was also the President of the Assam Congress during the British rule in the sub-continent
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Mahbub Ali Khan's grandfather was an eminent doctor in Calcutta and was personal physician to the Bihari Shia lawyer-politician Syed Hasan Imam
Syed Hasan Imam
Syed Hasan Imam born in year 1871, was an Indian politician who served as the President of the Indian National Congress.He was the fourth Muslim to become the President of Indian National Congress. One of his ancestors was the private tutor to Aurangzeb. Hasan Imam's father was a professor of...
, the top barrister of Calcutta High Court and leader of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. Mahbub Ali khan's great-uncle Ghazanfar Ali Khan OBE ICS was the first Muslim Cambridge graduate from Sylhet. Mahbub was also the cousin of General M. A. G. Osmani
M. A. G. Osmani
General Muhammad Ataul Ghani Osmany, popularly referred to as Bangabir General M.A.G. Osmany was the Commander-in-Chief of Bangladesh Forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971...
, the Supreme Commander of Bangladesh Forces during 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....
. Mahbub Ali Khan spent his childhood in the Sylhet District
Sylhet District
The district of Sylhet consists 6754 mosques, 453 temples, 96 churches and four Buddhist temples.-Places of Interests:-Historical:#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal#The Shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran#Shahi Eidgah#Gour Govinda Fort#Kean Bridge...
and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. After the partition of India (1947), his family moved to 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...
in East Pakistan. He received his primary education in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and 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...
and has spent his college time in 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...
. Later he took a law degree. So for four generations, the Khan family have been taking qualifications in law and medicine a feat very rare among Bengali Muslims. Mahbub's niece is the Harvard educated Irene Khan
Irene Khan
Irene Zubaida Khan is a Bangladeshi human rights activist. She was the seventh Secretary General of Amnesty International until her resignation on 31 December 2009. She was appointed as a member of the Charity Commission of England and Wales on 1 January 2010 but resigned after a controversy over...
, former head of Amnesty International.
Life in the Pakistan Navy
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...
of West Pakistan. For higher training he went to finish his graduation at Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, England. After his graduation he married Sayeeda Iqbal Manda Banu in 1955. They had two daughters – Shahina Khan and Zubaida Khan. On 1 May 1956, Mahbub Ali Khan received his standing commission. In 1960 he became the Gunnery officer of P.N.S (Pakistani Naval Ship) Tughril. In 1963, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
awarded him for being a disciplined officer. In 1964 he became the torpedo and anti-submarine officer of P.N.S Tippu Sultan. From 1967-68 he served the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
as the Joint Chiefs’ Secretariat Staff officer in the Defense Ministry in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
of West Pakistan. In 1970 he became the officer in charge of the torpedo and anti-submarine school in the P.N.S Himalaya and in the West Pakistani city of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
he served as the Seaward defence officer.
Life during the Liberation War of Bangladesh (1971)
During the 1971 war, when East Pakistan became Bangladesh and then went to war with West Pakistan for independence, Mahbub Ali Khan, at that time, was still staying in West Pakistan. Because of his patriotism towards Bangladesh, Mahbub Ali and his family was placed under house arrest by the Pakistan government. Even after the war was over, Mahbub Ali was still placed under house arrest for two more years till 1973, when he was able to escape from West Pakistan to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. From Afghanistan he went to India and then finally to his motherland, Bangladesh.
Life in the Bangladesh Navy
In October 1973, in Bangladesh Mahbub Ali became the first Bengali to be appointed as the commandant of the Mercantile Academy of Chittagong. In February 1976 he became the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (OperationsMilitary operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
and Personnel) of the Bangladesh Navy
Bangladesh Navy
The Bangladesh Navy is the naval arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. At present the navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, however it is implementing an ambitious procurement and expansion program to ensure the security of Bangladesh's maritime boundary...
. In December 1976 the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
of the United Kingdom sold a Salisbury class frigate to Bangladesh which came to be known as B.N.S (Bangladeshi Naval Ship) Umar Farooq
BNS Umar Farooq
BNS Umar Farooq is a Salisbury class frigate, the former HMS Llandaff, currently in service with the Bangladesh Navy.She was built in Britain, and served with the Royal Navy for 18 years, before being sold to Bangladesh, arriving there on 27 March 1977...
. The ship arrived in Bangladesh on 27 March 1977. Mahbub Ali Khan became the captain of the B.N.S Umar Farooq and with this ship he travelled to the ports of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. On 4 November 1979, Mahbub Ali Khan became the Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy and on 1 January 1980 he grew to the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
.
Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan worked hard to modernise the Bangladesh Navy. In the aftermath of the Bhola cyclone in 1970, a small uninhabited offshore sandbar landform called the South Talpatti sandbar emerged in the Bay of Bengal. Although South Talpatti was uninhabited and there were no permanent settlements or stations located on it, both India and Bangladesh claimed sovereignty over it because of speculation over the existence of oil and natural gas in the region. Under Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan, the sandbar remained under Bangladeshi authority. During his time the Bangladesh Navy was also able to bring down the pirates in the Bay of Bengal. Mahbub Ali Khan also took possible measures to maintain the security of the Sundarbans.
Involvement in Politics and relationship with the Political figures of the country
During the time of Ziaur Rahman'sZiaur 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...
rule, besides being the head of the Navy, Mahbub Ali Khan also served as the minister of telecommunications. Mahbub Ali Khan was also a member of President Zia's temporarily formed party called JAGODAL. In 1982, when martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was imposed in Bangladesh, Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan was appointed as the deputy chief martial law administrator of the country. At that time he also became an adviser of the Ministry of Communications. From 10 July 1982 to 1 June 1984, he served as a minister of the Ministry of Communications. Till his death, he served as the Minister of Agriculture in the country. During the time of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad's rule, besides being the Minister of Agriculture, Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan also kept on his efforts to continue the Green and Agricultural Movement, which was started by President Ziaur Rahman.
Mahbub Ali Khan had good relationships with almost all the great leaders of the country. After his return to Bangladesh, after the 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....
, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh 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...
specially appointed Mahbub Ali Khan to modernise the navy. Rezaur Rahman, elder brother of President Ziaur Rahman, was a colleague of Mahbub Ali Khan in the navy. So, Mahbub Ali Khan also had some good relationship with President Zia as well. Zubaida Khan, the younger daughter of Mahbub Ali Khan is also the wife of Tarique Rahman, the elder son of President Ziaur Rahman.
Death
On 6 August 1984, Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan went to the Tejgaon AirportTejgaon Airport
Tejgaon Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh served as the country's sole international airport prior to the construction of Shahjalal International Airport....
in Dhaka to investigate an air crash in that area. There, while investigating the air crash, Mahbub Ali Khan had a heart attack and he was quickly taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where he died at the age of 49. His burial place is at the Banani defence graveyard in Dhaka.
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