Matiur Rahman (military pilot)
Bengali PAF pilot defector and recipient of Bir Shreshto / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman BS (29 October 1941 – 20 August 1971) was a Bengali officer of the Pakistan Air Force from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and a recipient of Bir Sreshtho, Bangladesh's highest military gallantry award for his actions during the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Matiur Rahman | |
---|---|
Native name | মতিউর রহমান |
Born | (1941-10-29)29 October 1941 Narsingdi, Bengal, British India (now Dhaka, Bangladesh) |
Died | 20 August 1971(1971-08-20) (aged 29) Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan |
Allegiance | Pakistan (until March 1971) Bangladesh (from March 1971) |
Service/ | Pakistan Air Force (1963 – March 1971) Bangladesh Air Force (March 1971 – 20 August 1971) |
Years of service | 1963–1971 (his death) |
Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
Service number | PAK-4367 |
Unit | No. 2 Squadron |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Bir Sreshtho |
Spouse(s) | Milly Rahman[1] |
He attempted to escape from West Pakistan and join the Bangladesh Liberation War in then East Pakistan by hijacking a Lockheed T-33 aircraft being flown by a 20-year-old newly commissioned Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who was conducting his second solo flight. Rahman stopped the aircraft on the runway, climbed into the cockpit and steered the aircraft toward the Indian border, but Minhas soon realized his intentions and fought against him through the mechanically linked controls. Minhas then released the canopy, and since he was not properly strapped in, Rahman was sucked out of the cockpit. Minhas then tried to recover the plane but it crashed since it was flying too low, killing him as well. For his support to the state of Bangladesh, Rahman was decorated by Bangladesh with the Bir Sreshtho award.[2]