# Muhammad Hamidullah Khan

Muhammad Hamidullah Khan, TJ, BP (Bengali: এম হামিদুল্লাহ খান; 11 September 1938 – 30 December 2011) was a military leader and a war hero in two wars fought in South Asia: the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. M. Hamidullah Khan was also a public official as a member of both Awami League (1996~1997), and Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Hamidullah held quite a number of public offices as chairman such as Sonali Bank, Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust, Security & Exchange Commission and Board of Investment.

## Early life and education

Wing Commander Hamidullah Khan was born on 11 September 1938 in Medini Mandal village Lohajang upazila Bikrampur. He passed his matriculation from Kazir Pagla A.T. Institution in 1954. He completed his Intermediate and Bachelor of Commerce degree from Jagannath College in 1956 and 1959 respectively. In 1960, he joined the Pakistan Air Force Academy (PAFAA) as a cadet.

## Career

Khan joined Pakistan Air Force Academy as a cadet of 34th GD pilot course in 1960. He gained commission in 1962.During the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, Hamidullah was awarded the Tamgha-i-Jurat Gallantry Medal for his courage and Sitara-e-Harb War Medal for his dedication in the September 1965 Pathankot infiltration. In 1970, he was posted to Dhaka as the assistant provost marshal of PAF. As Flight Lieutenant he also served as the commanding officer of 5th P & S and the deputy director (Security) of Tejgaon International Airport in Pakistan Air Force. In the Bangladesh Independence War in 1971, he planned and commanded the Chilmari riverborne amphibious raid, one of the most strategically significant ground combat operation that was fought during the War of Independence of Bangladesh within the Mankachar sub~sector boundary of BDF Sector 11.
During the war in 1971, he held three posts. As an official of the Bangladesh Government, M. Hamidullah Khan was the principal BDF representative of Guerilla Training at Chakulia, Bihar. After participating in the Sector Commanders Conference held between July 11~17th 1971, BDF C-in-C Colonel M. A. G. Osmani transferred Hamidullah to Teldhala, BDF Sector 11 HQ. During that time he received a battlefield promotion to squadron leader. Bangladesh Forces Sector 11 headquarters was under the command of BDF commander Lt. Col. Ziaur Rahman, who appointed Hamidullah BDF commander of Mankachar Sub-Sector 1, with additional charge of independent Roumari district. He was promoted to the rank of squadron leader during the liberation war of Bangladesh. On 3 November 1971, Sqn Ldr M. Hamidullah Khan was appointed BDF commander of Sector 11..
After the independence of Bangladesh, he joined the Bangladesh Air Force. Later he was promoted to the rank of wing commander. He retired voluntarily in 1978.
Hamidullah was the Bangladeshi representative during the 34th UNGA, United Nations General Assembly session in 1979 as Bangladesh Special Envoy on the question of granting recognition to the State of Palestine and the plenary session on UN Resolutions 242 and 439 on the question of Palestine and Namibia respectively. He held numerous public appointments and elected posts during his service to the country. He joined politics Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1979, contested the Jatiya Sangsad elections and was elected lawmaker for three times in 1979, 1991 and 1996 from Louhaganj-Shirajdi Khan constituency. He was also nominated for Dhaka-15 constituency in the 2008 election.
Upon his death, the president of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave M. Hamidullah Khan a state funeral with full military honors.
He also authored four more books and made two documentaries on the events surrounding the war and post-independence. The Bangladesh Government named Road 23 in the town of Banani, Dhaka after him. Along with those of 55 other fighters, his biography was included in a CD released by the Bangladesh government.

## Death

M. Hamidullah Khan was given a state funeral with a military guard of honour. Hamidullah Khan and his wife, Rabeya Sulatna Khan had two sons, Murad Hamid Khan (Sonny) and Tariq Hamid Khan (Konny).