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Saiful Azam
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Saiful Azam (Bengali: সাইফুল আজম; 11 September 1941 – 14 June 2020) was a Bangladeshi fighter pilot and flying ace, and politician. He first served as a fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).[2] According to Pakistani sources, during his career as a PAF pilot, he allegedly shot down one Indian Air Force aircraft in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War and claimed to have shot down four Israeli aircraft during the Six-Day War, where he served as a military advisor and pilot for the air forces of Jordan and Iraq.
Key Information
For his actions, he received various gallantry awards from Pakistan, Jordan and Iraq.[2] He also took part in 12 ground-attack missions against the Indian Armed Forces.[3] After the independence of Bangladesh, he joined the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force.
In 1978, Azam retired as a group captain from the Bangladesh Air Force. After retiring from the military, Azam continued government service on contract basis and started his own private trading firm. Azam was a one term parliament member (1991–1996) representing his hometown seat of Pabna from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He died on 14 June 2020 at Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka Cantonment.
Early life and education
[edit]Azam was born on 1 September 1941 to a Bengali Muslim family in the village of Khalishadah-Khagarbaria of Faridpur subdivision in Pabna District of then Bengal Presidency (now in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh).[4] His father, Nurul Amin, worked in Calcutta where Azam spent much of his childhood up until the Partition of Bengal in 1947.[5] After completing his secondary schooling in East Pakistan, he moved to West Pakistan and joined the Pakistan Air Force College in Sargodha. After that, he joined Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur in 1958, successfully gaining commission as an officer in the PAF's General Duties Pilot or GD (P) branch in 1960. Saiful Azam was married to Nishat Azam, a lawyer.
Career
[edit]Service with the Pakistan Air Force (1960–1971)
[edit]After training with the Cessna T-37 aircraft and further education at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, with F-86 Sabres, in 1963, Azam was posted briefly in Dhaka before becoming an instructor with the T-33s at PAF's No. 2 Squadron (Jet Conversion Unit) in Mauripur, Karachi.[4] While still posted as an instructor, Azam flew in the September 1965 war with India as part of PAF's No. 17 Squadron from PAF Base Sargodha, flying F-86s.[4] After returning from a successful ground attack, Azam's group encountered Indian Folland Gnat interceptors; Azam shot down the aircraft and the Flying Officer was Mayadev of the Indian Air Force. Flying Officer Mayadev ejected and was captured by Pakistani soldiers on the ground. Throughout the 1965 war, Azam took part in 12 ground-attack missions which inflicted heavy damage on Indian armed forces.[3] For his actions, Azam was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat, Pakistan's third highest military award.[6] In 1966, he assumed the command of PAF's No. 2 Squadron.
In November 1966, he was sent by the Pakistan Air Force on deputation as an adviser to the Royal Jordanian Air Force.[4] According to Pakistani sources, during the 1967 Arab Israel war, Flight Lieutenant Saiful Azam shot down a Dassault Mystère IV, a transonic aircraft belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) while flying a Hawker Hunter. According to the same sources, a day later, he was shifted to an Iraqi airbase where he shot down a Vautour IIA and Dassault Mirage III belonging to the Israeli Air Force. To date, he holds the record for most Israeli Air Force aircraft shot down.[7][8][9]
In 1969, after completing his overseas deputation, he returned in service to the PAF and spent several years as flight commander at various PAF bases before the creation of Bangladesh.[4]
Service with the Bangladesh Air Force (1971–1977)
[edit]After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Azam entered service with the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force in 1974, serving as Director of Flight Safety and Director of Operations before being given command of the Dhaka Air Base and promoted to Group Captain. He retired from active military service in 1977.[10]
Post-retirement (1988–2020)
[edit]Following his retirement from the military, he joined Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). As a BNP candidate, Saiful took part in the 1991 Bangladeshi general election from Pabna-3 and achieved victory.[11]
Subsequently, he entered the private business sector as the managing director of Natasha Trading Agency and as the director of a travel agency with his wife.[4]
Death
[edit]Azam died on 14 June 2020 at a Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka Cantonment. Air Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Masihuzzaman Serniabat expressed deep shock and sadness for his death. A state funeral was arranged at the BAF Base Khademul Bashar parade ground including a fly past in honor of him.[1]
The then Chief of Pakistan Air Force Mujahid Anwar Khan and Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmed Rabie, expressed grief over the Azam's death. Mujahid Anwar Khan stated that Azam was an exceptional fighter pilot who would always be remembered for his valour and professionalism.[3] Ahmed Rabie stated that "on behalf of all Palestinians, I send our deepest condolences to his family in Pakistan and in Bangladesh."[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Retired Air Force Officer Burided at Shaheen Graveyard After Namaj-e-Zanaja". Inter-Services Public Relations. 15 June 2020.
- ^ a b "'Master of the sky' Group Captain Saiful Azam passes away". The Business Standard. 14 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "PAF pays tribute to 1965 war veteran". The Express Tribune. 15 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Saiful Azam profile". Air University, Alabama. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ "When the Devil Dared". Bangladesh Defence Journal (in Bengali). June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ "Air Warriors - Saiful Azam profile". Pakistan Air Force. Archived from the original on 24 February 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ Kaiser Tufail. "A Sword for Hussein". Defencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2003. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ M. Hensel, Howard (2020). Air Power in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific: Understanding Regional Security Dynamics. Routledge. ISBN 9781000091779.
- ^ Pakistan Air Force (PAF) heroes. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Saiful Azam: the story of an ace fighter pilot". bdnews24.com. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ সাবেক এমপি সাইফুল আজম সুজা আর নেই [Former MP Saiful Azam Suja died]. Jagonews24.com (in Bengali). 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Palestinian envoy grieved over Eagle of Sky's death". The Nation. 15 June 2020.
Saiful Azam
View on GrokipediaEarly life
Upbringing and family background
Saiful Azam was born on 11 September 1941 in Khagarbaria village, Faridpur Upazila, Pabna District, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Bangladesh), into a Bengali Muslim family.[5][6] He spent a portion of his early childhood in Kolkata, living with his father amid the diverse cultural milieu of pre-partition Bengal.[4][7] The Partition of India in August 1947 profoundly affected his family's circumstances, leading them to relocate eastward to territory incorporated into the newly established Dominion of Pakistan as East Pakistan.[3][1][8] This migration, driven by the communal divisions that redrew the subcontinent's borders, positioned Azam within the emerging socio-political framework of East Pakistan, where Bengali linguistic and cultural ties coexisted with the overarching Islamic identity of the Pakistani state.[3][8] Little is documented regarding specific familial professions or direct influences on his youth, though the era's regional tensions and post-partition resettlement likely contributed to his early awareness of national boundaries and loyalties.[4]Education and initial military training
Saiful Azam, born in 1941 in what was then British India (present-day Bangladesh), completed his early schooling in East Pakistan before relocating to West Pakistan in 1955 for further secondary education.[1] He attended high school there until 1958, demonstrating aptitude that led to his selection for entry into the Pakistan Air Force's cadet training program.[1][9] In 1958, Azam joined the Pakistan Air Force Academy at Risalpur (also referenced in some accounts as initial cadet schooling at PAF College Sargodha), embarking on rigorous officer training that emphasized aviation fundamentals, discipline, and leadership.[3][1] This two-year course culminated in his commissioning as a pilot officer on June 10, 1960, marking his formal entry as a fighter pilot in the General Duties (Pilot) branch.[10][3] Azam's initial military flight training began with the Cessna T-37 Tweet, a primary trainer used for basic aerobatics, instrument flying, and formation maneuvers, accumulating essential hours to build procedural proficiency.[3][9] He then advanced to specialized jet training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, USA, where he logged hours on the Northrop F-86 Sabre, mastering high-speed intercepts, gunnery, and dogfighting tactics under U.S. Air Force instructors.[3][1] This phase, completed by early 1960s postings, established his technical competence, with records noting his natural adaptation to jet operations and recognition as a top performer.[1]Service in the Pakistan Air Force (1960–1971)
Commissioning and early assignments
Saiful Azam was commissioned as a pilot officer in the Pakistan Air Force in 1960 upon graduating from the PAF Academy at Risalpur.[3] He completed initial flight training on the Cessna T-37 Tweet primary trainer before advancing to the F-86 Sabre fighter course at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where he earned recognition for exceptional performance, including the "Top Gun" designation for proficiency in jet operations.[3][1] Following his return to Pakistan, Azam was assigned to No. 14 Squadron, based in East Pakistan and equipped with F-86 Sabres, serving as an operational fighter pilot from 1960 to 1963.[1][3] In this role, he accumulated flight hours through defensive patrols and non-combat missions over East Pakistan, honing tactical skills in regional airspace monitoring and formation flying amid the squadron's focus on air defense readiness.[3] In 1963, Azam transitioned to PAF Base Mauripur, where he served as a T-37 flying instructor until 1966, training new cadets in basic aerobatics and instrument procedures while maintaining his own currency on advanced aircraft.[3] His early career trajectory reflected merit-based advancement, driven by logged flight metrics exceeding squadron averages and consistent evaluations of superior airmanship during exercises, rather than external influences.[1][3]Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Saiful Azam served as a Flight Lieutenant in No. 17 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, operating F-86 Sabre fighters from Sargodha Air Base to contest Indian Air Force intrusions over Pakistani territory.[3] His missions focused on air superiority, involving intercepts and engagements to protect ground forces and infrastructure in Punjab and Kashmir sectors.[1] On September 19, 1965, Azam led a formation that encountered Indian aircraft near Sialkot, where he maneuvered his Sabre to engage a Folland Gnat from India's No. 9 Squadron.[11] Using superior speed and firing from optimal range, Azam downed the Gnat, resulting in the capture of the Indian pilot, Flight Lieutenant Maya Dev, as a prisoner of war.[12] This marked his sole confirmed aerial victory in the conflict, verified by the pilot's internment and post-war records.[13] The engagement highlighted tactical decisions prioritizing energy management in the Sabre's climb to counter the Gnat's agility, contributing to Pakistan Air Force claims of qualitative edge in select dogfights despite numerical disparities.[1] For this action, Azam received the Sitara-e-Jurat, Pakistan's third-highest gallantry award, recognizing demonstrated courage under fire.[14]Combat in the Six-Day War (1967)
In late 1966, Saiful Azam was deputated from the Pakistan Air Force to the Royal Jordanian Air Force as an instructor and advisor, where he flew the subsonic Hawker Hunter fighter with No. 1 Squadron based at Mafraq Air Base.[3] This assignment positioned him to engage in aerial combat during the opening phase of the Six-Day War on June 5, 1967, when Israeli aircraft launched preemptive strikes on Arab airfields, including Mafraq. Flying a Hunter, Azam scrambled amid the assault and intercepted incoming Israeli jets, crediting a confirmed downing of one Dassault Mystère IV fighter-bomber using cannon fire, while damaging a second aircraft that trailed smoke and aborted its mission.[1][2] These engagements occurred against numerically superior Israeli forces equipped with advanced radar and supersonic aircraft, yet Azam's success stemmed from exploiting low-altitude approaches for surprise and accurate gunnery rather than relying on speed or technology parity.[3] Later in the war, on June 7, 1967, Azam participated in the defense of Iraq's H-3 air base, operating another Hawker Hunter against an Israeli raid. In this action, he downed a Sud-Ouest Vautour II bomber by executing a split-S maneuver to gain position and delivering multiple cannon bursts, and separately turned inside a faster Dassault Mirage III to achieve a kill through close-range marksmanship.[1] Jordanian and Iraqi records, along with subsequent decorations including Jordan's Al-Husayn Isteqlal and Iraq's Nuqrat al-Shuja'a, validate these three confirmed victories, attributing them to Azam's tactical proficiency in evading missile threats via terrain masking and capitalizing on brief windows of vulnerability in enemy formations despite the Hunter's obsolescence relative to Israeli jets.[3][1] Azam's record marks him as the foreign pilot with the most Israeli aircraft downed in the Six-Day War, achieved through causal advantages in pilot skill and opportunistic engagement over material or numerical deficits, though Israeli sources do not acknowledge these specific attributions.[15][16]Final years in PAF leading to 1971
Following his combat service in the 1967 Six-Day War, Saiful Azam returned to the Pakistan Air Force and resumed operational duties, focusing on squadron leadership and pilot training to enhance combat effectiveness amid ongoing regional tensions with India.[3] By 1969, he was assigned to East Pakistan as a flight commander in a squadron equipped with Shenyang F-6 fighters, the Chinese variant of the MiG-19, where he conducted training flights and maintained aircraft readiness in preparation for potential aerial threats.[3] These roles involved rigorous flight exercises to counterbalance the geographical vulnerabilities of East Pakistan's air bases, which were distant from West Pakistan's primary support infrastructure.[1] In early 1971, Azam transitioned to the role of flight commander at the PAF Fighter Leaders School, instructing advanced tactics and simulating engagements to sharpen pilot skills against superior numerical forces, reflecting PAF's strategic emphasis on qualitative superiority.[3] Stationed primarily in West Pakistan during this period, he contributed to operational planning that accounted for escalating political unrest in East Pakistan, including Bengali demands for autonomy that strained military cohesion.[3] Despite these internal divisions, Azam upheld PAF protocols, logging extensive flight hours on F-86 Sabres and F-6s to ensure squadron interoperability and deterrence posture ahead of the Indo-Pakistani crisis.[17] As separatist sentiments intensified in East Pakistan through 1971, marked by civil unrest and Cyclone Bhola's devastation in November 1970 which killed up to 500,000 and fueled grievances, Azam remained committed to PAF readiness, overseeing drills that prioritized rapid response to border incursions.[18] His prior experience in East Pakistan informed these efforts, emphasizing fortified air defenses against Indian incursions, though logistical constraints limited full-scale deployments until the outbreak of hostilities.[3] This phase underscored his technical proficiency, with accumulated combat and training hours exceeding 2,000 by war's eve, positioning him as a key asset in sustaining PAF's eastern wing viability.[1]Service in the Bangladesh Air Force (1971–1980)
Transition following independence
Following the declaration of Bangladesh's independence on December 16, 1971, Saiful Azam, born in 1941 in Pabna district of the former East Pakistan, joined the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) to apply his combat piloting expertise to the nascent service.[3][19] His transition reflected a pragmatic alignment with the independent Bengali-majority state, emerging from the 1971 war's rejection of West Pakistan's political and military dominance over East Pakistani personnel, many of whom had faced systemic marginalization in the unified armed forces.[20][2] Azam assumed critical roles in the BAF's early organization, including Director of Flight Safety, where he focused on standardizing operations amid the force's initial constraints of limited personnel and aircraft, primarily salvaged or captured from Pakistani stocks during the liberation.[21][2] Drawing on his prior command experience, he contributed to training programs for new recruits, aiding the buildup of air capabilities in a service that began with fewer than 50 operational aircraft and relied on defected or returning East Pakistani officers for institutional knowledge.[8] This integration emphasized military utility over ideological conflict, as Azam's skills addressed immediate gaps in pilot proficiency and safety protocols essential for a post-war air arm dependent on external aid for expansion.[2]Key roles and operational contributions
Following Bangladesh's independence in 1971, Saiful Azam joined the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force, initially serving as Director of Flight Safety, where he focused on establishing safety protocols for a nascent force recovering from the disruptions of the liberation war.[2] He subsequently advanced to Director of Operations, managing daily air activities and ensuring operational continuity with limited aircraft and infrastructure available in the post-war period.[2][3] In 1977, Azam was promoted to Wing Commander and appointed Base Commander of the BAF base at Dhaka (Tejgaon), a key facility for coordinating training flights, maintenance, and administrative functions essential to institutional buildup.[3] In this capacity, he oversaw non-combat operations, including pilot instruction and routine patrols, which helped standardize procedures and enhance the force's foundational readiness amid economic and logistical challenges.[3] These command roles contributed to stabilizing the BAF's structure during its early development phase, prioritizing organizational efficiency over expansion.[2] Azam retired from active service in the Bangladesh Air Force in 1980, holding the rank of Group Captain.[22] His tenure emphasized administrative and operational leadership rather than frontline engagements, reflecting the BAF's emphasis on consolidation in the absence of major conflicts.[3]Additional military engagements
Deputation to the Iraqi Air Force
In June 1967, during the Six-Day War, Saiful Azam was transferred from the Royal Jordanian Air Force to the Iraqi Air Force under a temporary deputation arrangement as part of joint Arab defensive efforts.[20][23] Stationed at the H-3 airbase in western Iraq, he flew a Hawker Hunter fighter to intercept an Israeli bombing raid on June 7.[8][1] Azam engaged four Israeli Vautour bombers escorted by two Dassault Mirage III fighters, claiming to have shot down one Vautour and damaging another in the ensuing dogfight.[20][7] This action marked his service under Iraqi command, distinct from prior engagements while deputized to Jordan earlier in the war. For his role in defending Iraqi airspace, Azam received Iraq's Medal of Bravery (Nawat al-Shuja'a).[1][23]This brief deputation underscored Azam's operational versatility, as he became one of few pilots to fly combat missions for the Iraqi Air Force while on secondment from the Pakistan Air Force. No further extended advisory or training roles in Iraq are documented beyond this wartime transfer.[20][8]
