Atiqur Rahman
{{Short description|Former (5th) Army Chief of Bangladesh}}
{{for|the Bangladeshi physician|Atiqur Rahman (doctor)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General
| name = M. Atiqur Rahman
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|9|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Murshidabad, Bengal, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|20|1931|9|1|df=y}}
| death_place = Dhaka, Bangladesh
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| office = 5th Chief of Army Staff
| president = Hussain Muhammad Ershad
| primeminister = Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury
Moudud Ahmed
Kazi Zafar Ahmed
| predecessor = Hussain Muhammad Ershad
| successor = Nuruddin Khan
| term_start = 1 September 1986
| term_end = 31 August 1990
| office1 = 4th Director General of Bangladesh Rifles
| president1 = Ziaur Rahman
Abdus Sattar
{{nobr|A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury}}
| primeminister1 = Mashiur Rahman
Shah Azizur Rahman
| predecessor1 = Quazi Golam Dastgir
| successor1 = R. A. M. Golam Muktadir
| term_start1 = 15 December 1977
| term_end1 = 30 June 1982
| allegiance = {{flag|Pakistan}} (before 1971)
{{flag|Bangladesh}}
| branch = {{army|Pakistan}}
{{army|Bangladesh}}
24px Bangladesh Rifles
| branch_label = Branch
| serviceyears = 1954–1990
| serviceyears_label = Service years
| unit = Regiment of Artillery
| rank = 20px Lieutenant General
30px
| commands = {{ubl|65th Infantry Brigade|GOC of 24th Infantry Division|QMG at Army Headquarters|DG of Bangladesh Rifles|PSO of Armed Forces Division|AG at Army Headquarter|7th Chief of Army Staff}}
| battles = {{ubil|Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|Bangladesh Liberation War (as POW)|Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict|1982 coup d'état}}
| battles_label = Conflicts
}}
M. Atiqur Rahman ndc, G+ (1 September 1931 – 20 December 2023) was a lieutenant general and Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff from 1986 to 1990.
Early life
M. Atiqur Rahman was born in Murshidabad. He studied at Union Academy, Delhi. His father Abdur Rahman was an Officer in Ministry of Defence. After the partition of India, his father was sent to Rawalpindi where he attended Gordon College, Rawalpindi. He earned his B.Sc. Degree from there.
Military career
=Pakistan Army=
Atiqur Rahman joined the Pakistan Army on 28 August 1951. He was commissioned from 9th PMA Long Course on 13 March 1954 in the Pakistan Army's artillery regiment. He was posted to the 20 Heavy Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment. As a Major, he served as the Ground testing Officer in Inter Service Selection Board. As a Lieutenant Colonel he served as the Commanding Officer of 13 LAA Regiment.https://www.kalbela.com/opinion/sub-editorial/62220
=Bangladesh Army=
Rahman did not join the Bangladesh Liberation War, as he was held as a prisoner of war (POW). He returned from Pakistan in 1974 and was allowed to join the Bangladesh Army. He was the second returned Pakistan officer to become Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff after Ershad. On 13 November 1973, he was appointed as the Director of Department of Artillery. On 15 May 1974, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. He was appointed as the first Colonel Commandant of Regiment of Artillery.
During the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he was a colonel and was posted as Director at Army Headquarters. On 23 October 1975, he was appointed as the Commander of 65 Independent Infantry Brigade. On 19 April 1976, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier. On 17 July, he established the 24 Infantry Division. Later, he was appointed as the Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters. On 25 August, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.
Rahman served as director general of the Bangladesh Rifles (now the Bangladesh Border Guard) from 1977 to 1982.{{Cite web |title=বর্ডার গার্ড বাংলাদেশ |url=http://www.bgb.gov.bd/site/page/b6998f35-39db-477b-a186-997f76d1910a/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bgb.gov.bd%2Fsite%2Fpage%2Fb6998f35-39db-477b-a186-997f76d1910a%2F- |access-date=18 February 2023 |website=www.bgb.gov.bd |language=en}} Later on 25 May 1983, he was appointed as the Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division. He was appointed Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army in 1986.
Rahman being the senior most Major General, Ershad promoted M Atiqur to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army on 1 September 1986.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X5ErAAAAYAAJ&q=lieutenant+general+m+atiqur+rahman |title=The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal |date=1988 |publisher=West of England Press |pages=323 |language=en}}
Rahman retired from the Bangladesh Army with full military honours in August 1990. He was succeeded by Nuruddin Khan as appointed by President Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
Personal life
In 1961, he was married to Begum Munira Mohabbat. They had two sons and one daughter. Begum Munira Died in 2010.
Awards and decorations
| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Nirapotta Padak.JPG|width=130}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Victory Medal.JPG|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Songbidhan Padak(Constitution Medal).JPG|width=130}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Jestha Padak III.svg|width=130}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Jestha Padak II.svg|width=130}} |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Jestha Padak I.svg|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Republic Medal 1956 (Pakistan).png|width=130}} |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| | colspan="2" |Nirapattya Padak (Nirapattya Padak) |
| Joy Padak
(Joy Padak) (Songbidhan Padak) (Jesthata Padak III) (Jesthata Padak II) |
| Jesthata Padak I
(Jesthata Padak I) (War Star 1965) (War Medal 1965) (Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 |
Later life and death
After retirement General Atiqur Rahman stayed away from public eye and did not pursue a political career.
Atiqur Rahman died from a heart attack in Dhaka, on 20 December 2023, at the age of 92.[https://www.newagebd.net/article/220758/bangladesh-army-condoles-death-of-ex-army-chief-atiqur-rahman Bangladesh Army condoles death of ex-army chief Atiqur Rahman]
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahman, Atiqur}}
Category:Chiefs of Army Staff, Bangladesh
Category:Director generals of Border Guard Bangladesh
Category:Rangpur Zilla School alumni