Nur Mohammad Sheikh#Battle of Goalhati
{{Short description|Bangladeshi freedom fighter and recipient of Bir Sreshtho award (1936–1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Nur Mohammad Sheikh
| native_name = নূর মোহাম্মদ শেখ
| native_name_lang = bn
| honorific_suffix = Bir Sreshtho
| birth_date = {{birth date text|26 February 1936}}
| death_date = {{death-date and age|5 September 1971|26 February 1936}}
| birth_place = Narail, Bengal, British India
| death_place = Jessore, Khulna, Bangladesh
| image =
| image_size = 15 cm
| caption = Lance Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh Bir Sreshtho
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{BAN}}
{{PAK}} (Before 1971)
| branch = {{flagicon image|বর্ডার গার্ড বাংলাদেশের পতাকা.svg}} East Pakistan Rifles
| serviceyears = 1959–1971
| rank = 15px Lance Nayek
| commands =
| unit = Sector – VI
Sector – VIII
| battles = Indo-Pakistani War of 1965{{WIA}}
Bangladesh Liberation War{{KIA}}
| awards = 40px Bir Sreshtho
| laterwork =
}}
Nur Mohammad Sheikh BS ({{langx|bn|নূর মোহাম্মদ শেখ}}; 26 February 1936 – 5 September 1971) was a Lance Nayek in East Pakistan Rifles during the Liberation War.
He was killed in an engagement with the Pakistan Army, while providing covering fire for the extrication of fellow soldiers at Goalhati in Jessore district on 5 September 1971. He was awarded Bir Sreshtho, Bangladesh's highest award for valour.{{cite news |title=FFs are greatest sons of soil: President|url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/cache/cached-news-details-64422.html|work=The Daily Star |agency=UNB |access-date=19 June 2015}}
{{Campaignbox Bangladesh Liberation War}}
Early life
Sheikh was born on 26 February 1936, in Moheshkhali village of Narail.{{cite news|last1=Mukul|first1=Manzurul Alam|title=Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad's death anniversary today|url=http://www.risingbd.com/english/Bir_Shrestha_Nur_Mohammads_death_anniversary_today/17557|access-date=19 June 2015}} His father was Mohammad Amanat Sheikh and his mother's name was Mosammat Jinnatunnesa Khanam. He lost his parents at an early age and continued his education up to seventh grade at local schools. As a child, he loved theatre.{{cite news |last1=Amin |first1=Tusher |title=The battle of Goalhati |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=248380 |access-date=19 June 2015 |work=The Daily Star |archive-date=19 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619133828/http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=248380 |url-status=dead }} Sheikh was married to Fazilatunnesa (d. 2018).{{Cite news |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/obituary/2018/11/22/bir-shrestha-noor-mohammad-s-wife-dies|title=Bir Shreshtha Noor Mohammad's wife passes away|date=2018-11-22|work=Dhaka Tribune|access-date=2019-09-27}}
On 14 March 1959, Sheikh joined the East Pakistan Rifles.{{cite news|title=Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad's death anniv today|url=http://www.newstoday.com.bd/?option=details&news_id=2388501&date=2014-09-05 |work=The News Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709074202/http://www.newstoday.com.bd/?option=details&news_id=2388501&date=2014-09-05 |archive-date=9 July 2015 |access-date=19 June 2015}}{{Cite news |last=Amin |first=Tusher |date=2012-09-05 |title=The battle of Goalhati |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-248380 |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=The Daily Star |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2023-09-04 |title=Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad's 52nd death anniversary tomorrow |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/bir-shrestha-nur-mohammads-52nd-death-anniversary-tomorrow-694542 |access-date=2024-05-13 |work=The Business Standard |language=en}} After finishing elementary training, During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, where he was wounded.{{Cite web |date=17 June 2021 |title=Sheikh, Birsrestha Nur Mohammad |url=https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Sheikh,_Birsrestha_Nur_Mohammad |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=Banglapedia |language=en}} he was also appointed at the Dinajpur sector. He was transferred to Jessore sector on 1 July 1970. In March 1971, Sheikh was spending a vacation at his village. As the war started, he joined sector 8 and continued to take part at different battles at Jessore. He died on 5 September during the Goalhati Battle in Sutipur.
Battle of Goalhati
Lance Nayek Nur Mohammad was selected as the captain of the Standing Patrol team at Goalhati in Jessore's Chutipur Camp that was established to monitor activities of the Pakistan Army.{{cite web |title=Sheikh, Birsrestha Nur Mohammad |url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sheikh,_Birsrestha_Nur_Mohammad |access-date=19 June 2015 |work=Banglapedia}} On 5 September, Nur Mohammad was patrolling with 4 fellow soldiers. Later on, The Pakistani Army attacked them from three different sides. Nur Mohammad did not want to retreat to his base but instead engaging the Pakistani troops. Meanwhile, one of his fellow soldiers, Nannu Mia, was injured after a bullet hit him. Nur Mohammad tried to carry Nannu Mia towards safety while trying to fire his gun from different places as a trick to confuse the Pakistani troops into believing that there were more than four Bangladeshi rebels. In doing so, Nur Mohammad himself was hit by a mortar and his foot was destroyed. Even though, he was seriously injured, Nur Mohammad decided to continue to provide cover fire for his team to escape. At the time, his fellow Sepoy Mostafa urged Nur Mohammad to go with him. Mostafa even tried to force Nur Mohammad to go but Nur Mohammad refused to go and gave his light machine gun to Mostafa, so that it would not be captured after his death. He kept a self-loaded rifle with him and kept on fighting until he died.
Legacy
Birshrestha Noor Mohammad Public College at Pilkhana has been named in his memory.{{cite web|title=Welcome|url=http://www.noormohammadcollege.ac.bd/Home.aspx|website=Birshreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College|access-date=19 June 2015|archive-date=6 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106205226/http://www.noormohammadcollege.ac.bd/Home.aspx|url-status=dead}} He was buried in Kashipur under Sharsha Upazila of Jessore{{cite news|title=43rd death anniversary of Bir Shrestha Nur Mohammad tomorrow|url=http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=434300&date=2014-09-04|work=BSS|access-date=19 June 2015}} A hospital in Jessore is named after him.{{cite web |title=About Us|url=http://jhenaidahcadetcollege.jessoreboard.gov.bd/2100/history-of-institution.html|publisher=Jhenaidah Cadet College |access-date=19 June 2015}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Bir Sreshtho}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nur, Mohammad Sheikh}}
Category:20th-century Bangladeshi military personnel
Category:People killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War
Category:Recipients of the Bir Sreshtho
Category:People from Narail District
Category:Mukti Bahini personnel
Category:Bangladesh Liberation War