Khaled Mosharraf

Khaled Mosharraf (Bangla: খালেদ মোশাররফ) (1938 – November 7, 1975) was a Bangladeshi 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.

Early life and army career

Khaled Mosharraf was born in the village of Mosharrafganj in Islampur, Jamalpur District 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.

Liberation War Commander

Major Khaled Mosharraf was appointed commanding officer of the 4th Bengal regiment in the Comilla 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 Indian 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 General Staff. He was also awarded with the military honour Bir Uttom by the government for gallantry during the liberation war.

Coup of 1975

Following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 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 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.

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 Rahman), several army officers of 10th East Bengal Regiment killed Khaled Mosharraf with his two fellow officers.^{[1] [2]}

References

• Banglapedia biography