Abu Taher
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher (retired - BD Army) (1938–1976) a communist and a left-leaning radical activist of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal
, responsible for the Soldiers Uprising and the radical breakout that occurred in Dhaka
, the capital city of Bangladesh
on Nov 7th 1975. He joined the Bangladesh Liberation struggle against West Pakistan
as Sector Commander of the 11th Sector in the northern front, which was also the largest Sector in the Liberation War of 1971. Taher was badly wounded in battle on November 14, 1971 when his leg was blown away by an enemy shell. He was taken to Pune, India, where his leg was amputated.
Province in then British India on 14 November 1938. His family hailed from Kazla village in Purbadhala
of then Bengal Province, today a town in the Netrokona District
of Bangladesh
. After completion of higher secondary school from Sylhet
M C College in 1959, he studied at the Social Welfare and Research Institute of the University of Dhaka
. He joined the Pakistan Army
in 1960 as an officer candidate and received his Commission in 1962.
, Abu Taher joined the elite Special Service Group (Commando Force) in 1965. Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
in the Kashmir
sector and the Sialkot sector. For his part, he received a gallantry award from the Government of Pakistan. After the war, Taher took advanced training on Guerrilla Warfare
at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in the United States
in 1969. He was posted to the Quetta
Staff College, Pakistan
in 1970.
and crossed over the border near Abbottabad
, West Pakistan
, into India. Later he was posted to Sector 11 in the Rangpur District
, which comprised Mymensingh District
, Tangail District
and parts of the Rangpur District
,. The battalion led by Taher was the first to advance toward the Pakistani army’s Dhaka Headquarters. On November 14, 1971, Taher was injured during a battle at Kamalpur. For his valour, he was awarded Bir Uttam, the highest living gallantry award in Bangladesh.
. He received a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and in June 1972, he was appointed Commanding Officer 44th Infantry Battalion East Bengal Regiment
at the Comilla
Cantonment. However, due to his left-leaning communist ideas of organising and reforming the Bangladesh Army
in the model of the Chinese army he resigned from the Bangladesh Army and joined Jatiya Samajtantric Dal (National Socialist Party). After three weeks of uncertainty and confusion resulting from the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on 15 August 1975, a rebellion followed on Nov 3rd 1975 among senior officers in the army, which Taher quickly took advantage of and created a sense of dissent among ranking Non-Commissioned Officers and regular soldiers. Abu Taher organised a socialist uprising of the soldiers on 7 November 1975. A number of military officers were attacked and killed by these soldiers. These soldiers freed Major General Ziaur Rahman
, then Deputy Chief of Army, who was under house arrest. General Zia thereupon proclaimed himself deputy Martial Law Administrator with Chief Justice Sayem being Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) on 7 November 1975.
As Abu Taher's ideas of a social revolution with a central communist army grew. Zia later placed Taher under charges of treason and Taher was arrested on 24 November 1975. He was tried by a military tribunal inside the Dhaka Central Jail
and was sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on 21 July 1976.
Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal
The Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal is a political party in Bangladesh.The party founded in 1972 through the merger of socialist political activists and military officers. It was founded under the leadership of Major Abdul Jalil, a freedom fighter from Barisal District, and was also joined by pro-Awami...
, responsible for the Soldiers Uprising and the radical breakout that occurred in 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...
, the capital city of 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...
on Nov 7th 1975. He joined the Bangladesh Liberation struggle against West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
as Sector Commander of the 11th Sector in the northern front, which was also the largest Sector in the Liberation War of 1971. Taher was badly wounded in battle on November 14, 1971 when his leg was blown away by an enemy shell. He was taken to Pune, India, where his leg was amputated.
Early life and education
Taher was born in Badarpur, AssamAssam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
Province in then British India on 14 November 1938. His family hailed from Kazla village in Purbadhala
Purbadhala Upazila
Purbadhala is an Upazila of Netrokona District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Purbadhala is located at . It has 44799 units of house hold and total area 312.3 km².-Demographics:...
of then Bengal Province, today a town in the Netrokona District
Netrokona District
Netrakona is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division.-Geography: is situated in the northern part of Bangladesh. Near the Himalayan border. Historically Netrakona is the main center point of Mymensingh Githika as the view of Mahua Malua who lived there and created...
of 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...
. After completion of higher secondary school from Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
M C College in 1959, he studied at the Social Welfare and Research Institute of the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
. He joined the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
in 1960 as an officer candidate and received his Commission in 1962.
Military career
In Pakistan ArmyPakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, Abu Taher joined the elite Special Service Group (Commando Force) in 1965. Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
in the Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
sector and the Sialkot sector. For his part, he received a gallantry award from the Government of Pakistan. After the war, Taher took advanced training on Guerrilla Warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
at Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1969. He was posted to the Quetta
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...
Staff College, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1970.
Role in Bangladesh Liberation War
In July, 1971, Taher along with several other Bengali officers defected from the Pakistan ArmyPakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
and crossed over the border near Abbottabad
Abbottabad
Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, northeast of the capital Islamabad and east of Peshawar at an altitude of and is the capital of the Abbottabad District...
, West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
, into India. Later he was posted to Sector 11 in the Rangpur District
Rangpur District
The district of Rangpur have 4924 mosques, 480 temples, 43 churches and six tombs.In an anthropologic view most people of Rangpur are having Rajbagshi blood in their veins...
, which comprised Mymensingh District
Mymensingh District
Mymensingh is one of the districts of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya state of India and Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur district, on the east by districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail...
, Tangail District
Tangail District
Tangail is a district in central region of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka division. The population of Tangail zilla is about 3.2 million and its surface area is 3,414.39 km². The main town of Tangail District is the district town Tangail...
and parts of the Rangpur District
Rangpur District
The district of Rangpur have 4924 mosques, 480 temples, 43 churches and six tombs.In an anthropologic view most people of Rangpur are having Rajbagshi blood in their veins...
,. The battalion led by Taher was the first to advance toward the Pakistani army’s Dhaka Headquarters. On November 14, 1971, Taher was injured during a battle at Kamalpur. For his valour, he was awarded Bir Uttam, the highest living gallantry award in Bangladesh.
Post-liberation activities
Following his return, Taher was appointed the Adjutant General of Bangladesh ArmyBangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
. He received a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and in June 1972, he was appointed Commanding Officer 44th Infantry Battalion East Bengal Regiment
East Bengal Regiment
-History:The East Bengal Regiment was formed in 1948 following Pakistan's creation from the Partition of British Raj in South Asia. As part of the agreement, the Muslim population of what was previously known as British Empire in South Asia were given their own state of Pakistan, made up of West...
at the Comilla
Comilla
Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....
Cantonment. However, due to his left-leaning communist ideas of organising and reforming the Bangladesh Army
Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
in the model of the Chinese army he resigned from the Bangladesh Army and joined Jatiya Samajtantric Dal (National Socialist Party). After three weeks of uncertainty and confusion resulting from the assassination of 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...
on 15 August 1975, a rebellion followed on Nov 3rd 1975 among senior officers in the army, which Taher quickly took advantage of and created a sense of dissent among ranking Non-Commissioned Officers and regular soldiers. Abu Taher organised a socialist uprising of the soldiers on 7 November 1975. A number of military officers were attacked and killed by these soldiers. These soldiers freed Major General Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur 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...
, then Deputy Chief of Army, who was under house arrest. General Zia thereupon proclaimed himself deputy Martial Law Administrator with Chief Justice Sayem being Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) on 7 November 1975.
As Abu Taher's ideas of a social revolution with a central communist army grew. Zia later placed Taher under charges of treason and Taher was arrested on 24 November 1975. He was tried by a military tribunal inside the Dhaka Central Jail
Dhaka Central Jail
Dhaka Central Jail is the largest jail in Bangladesh, located in the old section of Dhaka, the country's capital. The jail has been used to house criminals as well as political prisoners, especially during the Language Movement of 1952, the 6 Point Movement, and the Bangladesh Liberation War....
and was sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on 21 July 1976.