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Matiur Rahman (Bangla: মতিউর রহমান) or Shaheed M. Matiur Rahman (born February 21, 1945 in Dhaka - died August 20 1971) was a Flight Lieutenant in the Pakistan Air Force when the Liberation War broke out. His date of birth is sometimes mentioned as 29 November 1941.
He received his primary education at Dhaka Collegiate School. Next he got himself admitted into Pakistan Air Force Public School at Sargoda in (West) Pakistan. After completing his twelfth class course there he entered Pakistan Air Force Academy. He was commissioned in June 1963 and was posted at Risalpur, (West) Pakistan. He successfully completed the Jet Conversion Course in Karachi before he was appointed a Jet Pilot in Peshawar.
On August 20, 1971 he attempted to pilot a T-33 trainer from Karachi, Pakistan to India in order to defect from the Pakistan Air Force and join the liberation movement of Bangladesh. The T-33 aircraft was code-named 'Bluebird'. He didn't make it though, as, reportedly, the other pilot Rashid Minhas in the plane forced it to crash. The plane crashed in Thatta, a place near the Indian border. His body, which was found near the crash site was reportedly buried at the graveyard of fourth class employees at Masroor Air Base, Pakistan.
For this attempt, he was awarded the Bir Sreshtho by Bangladesh which is the highest honor given. The Bangladesh Air Force's Air Base at Jessore is also named for him. This same base is home to the air force academy of Bangladesh.
Rahman is viewed in a Pakistan in negative light. This is due to the fact that he tried to defect, but more importantly because the pilot who flew with him, Rashid Minhas is viewed as a hero in Pakistan. Minhas is given almost parallel treatment in Pakistan and was awarded that nation's highest award the Nishan-E-Haider and also has an air base named for him. Official accounts of Minhas' actions in Pakistan never include the name of Rahman. And likewise, official accounts of Rahman's actions do not include the name of Minhas in Bangladesh.
The remains of Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman have returned on 24th of June 2006 from Pakistan to Bangladesh - 35 years after the war. The base of Bangladesh Air Force in Jessore has been named Matiur Rahman Air Base.
Rahman is viewed in Pakistan as a traitor and hijacker and in Bangladesh as a hero.
See also
References
External links
- Efforts to bring back Matiur's body
- Article on Matuir
- Another article
- Interesting article on the incident
- Another article on the incident