Lt. Colonel Dr. Nurul Absar Mohammad Jahangir
Nurul Absar Mohammad Jahangir (born East Pakistan 13 May 1931, died Comilla, Bangladesh 30 March 1971) was an Bangladeshi nationalist and Pakistani military physician extra-judicially killed in the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence.
Education and career[]
He was the eldest son of Doctor Abdul Qader and Mrs. Jahanara Begum resident of Pangsha, Rajbari.
- 1944- Passed Matriculation exam from ‘King George high school’, Pangsha, obtained 1st division.
- 1946- Passed ISc examination and obtained 1st division.
- 1947 –1953 Dhaka Medical College.
- 1953- Graduated from Dhaka Medical College and joined Armed Forces Medical Corps.
- 1962-1963- Obtained his post graduation degree in clinical pathology from Walter Reed Army Medical institute at Washington DC, USA.
- 1970 - Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and posted as Commandant 40 Field Ambulance in Comilla Cantonment, Comilla.
Role in Bangladesh Independence movement[]
While he was the final year student of Dhaka Medical College, Jahangir participated vehemently in the 1952 Bengali Language Movement.
In 1970, Jahangir was assigned as Coordinator of Relief and Rehabilitation Operation for the victims of the cyclone of 12 November 1970. He observed discrimination and nepotism in the distribution of relief materials by the West Pakistanis, and protested this.
During the same time he was also assigned as Deputy Chief of Marshal Law Court in Chittagong. He noticed that some of the cases in court were fabricated and motivated for framing Awami League leaders and workers and against the members of Hindu communities. Among them one famous case was against Bengali nationalists M. A. Hannan and Amulya Sen for burning the flag of Pakistan. After examining all documents, he provided them full acquittal from the charges.
In March 1971, a conference of senior officers was held at the Comilla Cantonment for a discussion of taking lethal action against anti-Pakistan protestors, which Jahangir objected to.
On 27 March, Jahangir's superiors ordered him to turn in all his unit's arms and ammunition. He turned in only some of the arms, but hid a large portion for reserve for future mutinty of his troops against West Pakistan control. He summoned the unit members and said, "If death is inevitable, you will use the last arms of your hands against the enemy before accepting death, but never defile the country and yourself by surrendering to the Pakistanis."
On March 28, Jahangir lost contact with his fellow officers, and the next day learned of a plan to kill Bengali nationalist officials and soldiers. He tried to return to his office several times but was obstructed; he called his office and was advised to prepare to take up arms for Bangladeshi liberation. Jahangir rallied 50 of his men from the 40 Ambulance Unit, who fought for two hours, killing many West Pakistan troops but losing all but three of their own.
On 30 March, around 6:45 AM, two Pakistani soldiers came to Jahangir's home with orders to escort him away for a meeting. Sensing he would be killed Jahangir hugged his children goodby, and handed his wife a .32 caliber revolver for her protection. At 9 AM Jahangir called home, and told his wife: "I have been taken to the conference with Pakistani Colonel Yakub Malik.". These were to be his last words to her. Jahangir disappeared on March 30, 1971. After the liberation war on March 1972, he was exhumed from a mass grave at Comilla and was buried in front of Comilla CMH with military honours.
References[]
External links[]
- Article at Samakal.net
The original article can be found at Nurul Absar Mohammad Jahangir and the edit history here.