Hafizuddin Ahmed

Hafizuddin Ahmed
Born	29 October 1939 Bhola
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Citizenship	Bangladesh
Known for	Bir Bikrom
Religion	Muslim

Hafizuddin Ahmed is a retired major in the Bangladesh Army^[1] and a parliamentarian of Bangladesh.^[2] He actively participated in the Bangladesh Liberation War fleeing from Jessore Cantonment. He was awarded with the third highest gallantry award in Bangladesh, Bir Bikrom, for his courage.

He is now serving as a Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.^[3]

Early life and education

Hafizuddin Ahmed was born on 29 October 1939 in Lalmohan, Bhola.^[1] His father, Dr. Azharuddin, was a member of the National Council of East Pakistan from Bhola.^[4]

He started his education in a nearby school in Bhola. He continued his education at the Barisal Zilla School. After passing the matriculation examination, he entered Brojomohun College, Barisal. After passing the intermediate examination, he was admitted to the Department of Political Science at the University of Dhaka. He attained a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree from the University of Dhaka in 1964 with a second division and attained a Master of Arts from University of Dhaka in 1965 with a second division.

Career as a football player

He played football during his university days. He soon joined the Mohammedan Sporting Club (Dhaka) in 1964. He was selected for the National Football Team of Pakistan in 1967.^[5] From 1967 to 1970, he was a regular player on the national football team.

Career in the Pakistan Army

While playing for Pakistan national football team as well as Mohammedan Sporting Club (Dhaka) in 1967, he was inspired to join the Pakistan Army by the General Secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation, Major Mohammad Hossain Malik. He applied to join the Education Corps of the Pakistan Army, and was commissioned in 1968.^[1] He was trained at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Abbottabad. His classmates included Captain Aftabul Kader Bir Uttam and Bir Sreshtho Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir. Former President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman was among his trainers there.

He was selected as the best cadet and nominated as the Battalion Senior Under Officer (BSOU) of the academy. Later, he was accepted into the Armoured Corps, and he was posted to the 1 East Bengal Regiment, known as the senior tigers, at Jessore.

After getting commissioned, he continued his career as a football player and participated in many tournaments. After the 1970 Bhola cyclone, he as a Captain in the Pakistan Army, with his Bravo Company, engaged in relief work at Golachipa, Patuakhali.^[4]

Role in Bangladesh Liberation War

Hafizuddin Ahmed was at Jagdishpur Village in the border area of Jessore as a part of a training exercise. He was bared from all type of communication there and had no idea about the genocide named as the Operation Searchlight by Pakistan Army and the declaration of independence of Bangladesh.

He returned to the Jessore Cantonement on 29 March. He was learned from his Batman that there was an order from the Baluch Regiment to disarm the East Bengal Regiment and 25 Baluch Regiment and 3 Frontier Force has taken position in front of the cantonment. The arsenal was also broken by the non-commissioned officer and soldiers in retaliation to that. Soon he understood the whole situation and joined the Bangladesh Liberation War^[1] and also asked his Commanding Officer Colonel Jalil to join the war. But Colonel Jalil who maintained contact with M. A. G. Osmani of Bangladesh Awami League refused to join the Liberation War as in his last meeting M. A. G. Osmani, he was asked not to think about the war of liberation.^[4]

Hafizuddin Ahmed soon started fighting as the enemies started firing towards them. He realized that the ammunition they had with them will not be sufficient enough to continue the war for more than three hours. So started thinking about an exit plan. After fighting relentlessly for almost two hours he finally escaped the cantonment with his 200 companions.^[4]

Later he crossed the Radcliffe Line, the border of India and Pakistan and reached India where almost all the members of Bangladesh Awami League took political asylum after fleeing the attack of Pakistan Army. Captain Hafiz asked for some ammunition in India and learned that almost every units of East Bengal Regiment defected against the Pakistan Army. He came to know that the former members of Pakistan Army who have joined the liberation war was under a central command under M. A. G. Osmani.

Captain Hafiz amid continuous attack of Pakistan Army of occupation created a free area at the border of Jessore containing the Benapol BOP from April to mid-May.^[4]

During the second week of May 1971, Captain Hafiz was ordered to move to Tura, Meghalaya of Meghalaya to join the Z Force. He was nominated as a Company Commander of 1st East Bengal Regiment in Jessore.^[6]

During the war he was injured while fighting the Battle of Kamalpur, one of the most significant battles fought by Bangladesh Forces in 1971.^[4] Later he attacked Dholoi BOP and liberated the Sylhet form Pakistan Army.

Career in Bangladesh Army

Hafizuddin Ahmed as a freedom fighter received the gallantry award Bir Protik and was promoted to a Major in Bangladesh Army after the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was appointed as the Personal Secretary of the Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman in Dhaka Cantonment.

During those days in Bangladesh Army there was at least three factions among the freedom fighter military officers. After the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975 he joined the faction led by Khaled Mosharraf and was involved in staging a counter-coup against the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on November 3 of the same year. They confined Ziaur Rahman in his house and forced him to resign from the post of Chief of Staff.

Later on November 7 another counter-coup was staged to free the Chief of Staff of Bangladesh Army in the name of National Revolution and Solidarity Day. Major Hafiz was arrested by military personnel after the revolution and taken to special jail situated in the Gono Bhaban. He was forced to end up his career in Bangladesh Army for staging mutiny. But soon Major Hafiz escaped the jail and went underground.

Political career

Hafizuddin Ahmed joined politics as an independent candidate from Bhola. He has been elected as a Member of Parliament from the constituency of Bhola-3 six times since 1986.

Later he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.^[3] He is currently serving as the Vice-President of the party.

He served as the Minister of Water Resources.^[7] during the tenure of the second government led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party as Begum Khaleda Zia as the Prime Minister. He led several talks about the sharing of water with India.^[7]

After the reshuffling of the cabinet he was appointed as the Commerce Minister.^[8]

Hafiz though a freedom fighter has been arrested several times by the Bangladesh Awami League led government during its tenure. He was detained while protesting the government's decision to repeal the caretaker government system on June 11, 2011.^[9] Later after the abduction of the Organizing Secretary of the Party, Ilias Ali, Hafizuddin was arrested with other central leaders in 2012. Again on 28 December 2013, Hafizuddin Ahmed was arrested from the National Press Club premises when he was leaving there after declaring the fresh demonstration program of his party.^[8]

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