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Abu Taher
Mohammad Abu Taher (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ আবু তাহের ⓘ; 14 November 1938 – 21 July 1976) was a Bangladeshi military officer. He first served in the Pakistan Army before defecting to the Bangladesh Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He later crossed into India and reported to the Indian authorities. After a week of screening at Dehradun, he was sent to Kolkata, West Bengal. He was ordered to report to Sector 11 of Mukti Bahini under the command of Major Ziaur Rahman. He became the sector commander after Major Ziaur Rahman and served in the Bangladesh Defence Forces (BDF) for about two months, until November 1971. He was awarded the Bir Uttom Medal for gallantry in the War of Liberation. He was released from military service by an Indian military medical board in Pune, India, after his leg was amputated. After independence, he was inducted into the Bangladesh Army for administrative retirement with the legacy rank of lieutenant colonel.
After settling in with his family, the government of Bangladesh appointed him to Comilla. Later, Taher became a political activist and leader of the left-wing Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal. He was responsible for the 7 November coup which was the third coup in 1975 in Bangladesh. After freeing Ziaur Rahman and reinstating him as army chief, many personnel, including Taher, were executed after being found guilty of high treason and murder. However, in 2011, his trial was declared illegal by the High Court of Bangladesh.
Abu Taher was born in Badarpur, Assam Province of British India on 14 November 1938. His ancestral village was Kazla in Purbadhala, Netrokona District of Bangladesh. After the completion of higher secondary school from Murari Chand College in Sylhet, Taher joined the Pakistan Army in September 1960 as an officer candidate. After that[when?], he was married to Lutfa Taher.
Taher was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1961. He joined the Special Service Group in 1965. Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in Sialkot. For his contributions during the war, he received a war participation medal from the Pakistan Army. After the war, Taher trained under U.S. Army Special Forces at Fort Benning in the United States in 1969. He was soon posted to the Quetta Staff College, Pakistan, in 1970.
Towards the end of August 1971, Major Taher, along with three other Bengali officers, Major Manzur, Major Ziauddin and Captain Bazlul Ghani Patwari, defected from the Pakistani Army and crossed the border near Abbottabad, West Pakistan, into India. After two weeks under Indian intelligence screening and debriefing, he was sent to the Bangladesh Armed Forces (BDF) HQ at 8 Theatre Road, Calcutta and subsequently posted to Sector 11. He was promoted to Major in September 1971. Major Ziaur Rahman appointed Taher as Sub-Sector Commander No. 2 at Mahendraganj. Sector 11 was located across the Rangpur District, which comprised Mymensingh District, Tangail District and parts of Rangpur District.[citation needed] On 10 October, upon Major Ziaur's temporary transfer to the Sylhet sector, Major Shafayat Jamil handed over the interim command of BDF Sector 11.[citation needed] On 2 November 1971, Taher lost his leg from a small mine blast during a debriefing. Squadron Leader M. Hamidullah Khan was officially appointed Sector Commander of Sector 11 under direct orders through EAM from General Osmani, the Bangladesh Interim Provincial Government Headquarters. Taher was flown to Pune, India. On 21 November, Taher received a Medical Board Release.[citation needed] His leg was later amputated in Pune, where he remained until February 1972.[citation needed] For his valour, he was awarded Bir Uttom.
Following his return, Taher was reinstated into the Bangladesh Army in April for effective retirement following administrative procedure.[citation needed] He retired with a legacy entitlement rank of Lieutenant Colonel and hence is widely known as Colonel Taher.
Abu Taher joined the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, a left-wing, socialist party, sometime after its founding in 1972.
The Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal had split from the Bangladesh Chhatra League and called for establishing socialism through an armed revolution. Taher became the head of its armed wing, the Gonobahini and led a violent insurgency campaign against the government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
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Abu Taher
Mohammad Abu Taher (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ আবু তাহের ⓘ; 14 November 1938 – 21 July 1976) was a Bangladeshi military officer. He first served in the Pakistan Army before defecting to the Bangladesh Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He later crossed into India and reported to the Indian authorities. After a week of screening at Dehradun, he was sent to Kolkata, West Bengal. He was ordered to report to Sector 11 of Mukti Bahini under the command of Major Ziaur Rahman. He became the sector commander after Major Ziaur Rahman and served in the Bangladesh Defence Forces (BDF) for about two months, until November 1971. He was awarded the Bir Uttom Medal for gallantry in the War of Liberation. He was released from military service by an Indian military medical board in Pune, India, after his leg was amputated. After independence, he was inducted into the Bangladesh Army for administrative retirement with the legacy rank of lieutenant colonel.
After settling in with his family, the government of Bangladesh appointed him to Comilla. Later, Taher became a political activist and leader of the left-wing Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal. He was responsible for the 7 November coup which was the third coup in 1975 in Bangladesh. After freeing Ziaur Rahman and reinstating him as army chief, many personnel, including Taher, were executed after being found guilty of high treason and murder. However, in 2011, his trial was declared illegal by the High Court of Bangladesh.
Abu Taher was born in Badarpur, Assam Province of British India on 14 November 1938. His ancestral village was Kazla in Purbadhala, Netrokona District of Bangladesh. After the completion of higher secondary school from Murari Chand College in Sylhet, Taher joined the Pakistan Army in September 1960 as an officer candidate. After that[when?], he was married to Lutfa Taher.
Taher was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1961. He joined the Special Service Group in 1965. Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in Sialkot. For his contributions during the war, he received a war participation medal from the Pakistan Army. After the war, Taher trained under U.S. Army Special Forces at Fort Benning in the United States in 1969. He was soon posted to the Quetta Staff College, Pakistan, in 1970.
Towards the end of August 1971, Major Taher, along with three other Bengali officers, Major Manzur, Major Ziauddin and Captain Bazlul Ghani Patwari, defected from the Pakistani Army and crossed the border near Abbottabad, West Pakistan, into India. After two weeks under Indian intelligence screening and debriefing, he was sent to the Bangladesh Armed Forces (BDF) HQ at 8 Theatre Road, Calcutta and subsequently posted to Sector 11. He was promoted to Major in September 1971. Major Ziaur Rahman appointed Taher as Sub-Sector Commander No. 2 at Mahendraganj. Sector 11 was located across the Rangpur District, which comprised Mymensingh District, Tangail District and parts of Rangpur District.[citation needed] On 10 October, upon Major Ziaur's temporary transfer to the Sylhet sector, Major Shafayat Jamil handed over the interim command of BDF Sector 11.[citation needed] On 2 November 1971, Taher lost his leg from a small mine blast during a debriefing. Squadron Leader M. Hamidullah Khan was officially appointed Sector Commander of Sector 11 under direct orders through EAM from General Osmani, the Bangladesh Interim Provincial Government Headquarters. Taher was flown to Pune, India. On 21 November, Taher received a Medical Board Release.[citation needed] His leg was later amputated in Pune, where he remained until February 1972.[citation needed] For his valour, he was awarded Bir Uttom.
Following his return, Taher was reinstated into the Bangladesh Army in April for effective retirement following administrative procedure.[citation needed] He retired with a legacy entitlement rank of Lieutenant Colonel and hence is widely known as Colonel Taher.
Abu Taher joined the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, a left-wing, socialist party, sometime after its founding in 1972.
The Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal had split from the Bangladesh Chhatra League and called for establishing socialism through an armed revolution. Taher became the head of its armed wing, the Gonobahini and led a violent insurgency campaign against the government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.