AK Khandker, deputy commander of Liberation War, no more

Abdul Karim Khandker, former deputy commander of the Liberation War and the first chief of the Bangladesh Air Force, died yesterday from old-age complications at the age of 95.

Khandker, who was awarded Bir Uttam, had been undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka since December 7 for multiple ailments, according to a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held tomorrow after Zuhr prayers at Bangladesh Air Force Base Bashar in Dhaka Cantonment. Following the janaza and state honours, he will be buried at the military graveyard.

During the Liberation War, Khandker, a retired vice marshal, played a pivotal role in organising the armed struggle. In March 1971, he was serving as a group captain at Dhaka Cantonment.

On May 15, 1971, he crossed into India with fellow officers, reaching Agartala in Tripura.

The following day, he met Liberation Army chief Ataul Gani Osmani and members of the government-in-exile, after which he was assigned the responsibility of deputy commander of the Liberation War.

He also played a leading role in forming the Bangladesh Air Force and was appointed coordinator of Operation Kilo Flight in late August 1971.

On December 16, during the surrender of Pakistani forces, he represented the Liberation Army in the absence of Colonel Osmani.

Following independence, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appointed Khandker as the chief of the reconstituted air force.

Khandker was appointed as the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia and served in the mission from 1976 to 1982. From 1982 to 1986, he was the Bangladesh High Commissioner in India.

In 1986, he was appointed adviser to the president, and thereafter he served as the planning minister until 1990. He was elected as a member of parliament in 1998 and 2009 from the Pabna-2 constituency.

In 2009, he was inducted as a full cabinet minister and given the charge of the planning ministry.

Born on January 1, 1930 in Rangpur, Khandker joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1949.

He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow at his death, describing Khandker as an unforgettable soldier of Bangladesh's struggle for independence.

In the Liberation War of 1971, he played an important role in achieving the country's independence by demonstrating courage, foresight and leadership qualities. His strategic decisions, organisational skills and unwavering patriotism as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Mukti Bahini further consolidated the struggle for independence, Yunus added.