Muhammad Ghulam Tawab

Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ghulam Tawab (1 July 1930 – 23 February 1999) was the second chief of the air staff of Bangladesh Air Force who also served as deputy chief martial law administrator of Bangladesh with Ziaur Rahman and M. H. Khan from 1975 to 1977.

Early life

Tawab was born in a village near Sylhet, of Bengal Province, British Indian Empire, on July 1, 1930. He was married to Henrietta, a German national, and has two sons and a daughter.^[1]

Career

After graduating college Tawab joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1951 and was commissioned with the 9th GD(P) course as a pilot officer in the Pakistan Air Force. He graduated from PAF College Risalpur on September 15, 1951. Tawab excelled in the PAF by reputation and professionally as well as in Bangladesh Air Force. In 1965, during Indo-Pak war on the western front, Tawab won the highest gallantry award. In 1975, Tawab was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed as Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force.^[1]

After Sheikh Mujib's assassination in August 1975, Tawab was immediately recalled from West Germany to active duty by Major Dalim upon then Wing Commander M. Hamidullah Khan's advice. Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandker was promptly dismissed, and Tawab was reinstated to Bangladesh Air Force and appointed the Chief of Air Staff with the rank of Air Vice Marshal. During Tawab's command, the Bangladesh Air Force reemerged as an active department of armed forces of Bangladesh and received its accurate transformation and structuring. In less than two years, he created the Ground Defense Command under the office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for tactical base defense and the 'Cadets Training Unit'. M. G. Tawab retired from Bangladesh Air Force in 1977 and returned to West Germany. He died in Munich on 23 February 1999 from prostate cancer after several years of illness.

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