Atiqur Rahman

M. Atiqur Rahman (1 September 1931 – 20 December 2023) was a lieutenant general in the Bangladesh Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 31 August 1986 to 30 August 1990.^[1]^[2] Rahman commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery of the Pakistan Army following completion of the 9th PMA Long Course and advanced to lieutenant colonel by the time of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, during which he was stationed in Peshawar Garrison.^[2] After the war, he and other Bengali officers were detained until repatriation to Bangladesh in 1974, after which he integrated into the nascent Bangladesh Army.^[2] As Chief of Army Staff under President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Rahman emphasized professionalism and military discipline amid the era's political turbulence, retiring with full honors in November 1990 without engaging in partisan politics—a departure from the pattern observed among several predecessors and successors.^[2] His tenure focused on upholding institutional integrity rather than aligning with civilian or military power struggles.^[2]

Early Life and Education

Birth and Family Background

M. Atiqur Rahman was born in 1929 in the Bengal Presidency of British India, a region characterized by agrarian economies and emerging middle-class merchant families amid colonial administration.^[2] The socio-economic context of undivided Bengal involved rural-urban divides and dependence on trade, with many Muslim families navigating Hindu-majority influences and British policies that favored certain communities, fostering self-reliance in households like Rahman's.^[2] The 1947 partition of India, which bisected Bengal into West Bengal (India) and East Bengal (Pakistan), introduced direct causal disruptions including population exchanges, economic instability, and identity-based conflicts, realistically imprinting on young individuals from East Bengali Muslim backgrounds a heightened awareness of territorial loyalty and personal fortitude as survival imperatives. These pre-independence and partition-era dynamics, rather than formal structures, provided the raw environmental pressures that cultivated Rahman's foundational discipline, distinct from later institutional influences.^[2]

Formal Education and Initial Training

M. Atiqur Rahman completed his initial military training through the 9th Long Course at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, Abbottabad.^[2] He graduated from this program in 1954 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Artillery of the Pakistan Army.^[2] The PMA Long Course served as the primary institutional pathway for regular officer commissioning in the Pakistan Army during this period, emphasizing foundational military skills, leadership development, and branch-specific preparation for artillery roles.^[2] Rahman's progression through this merit-based training established his early professional qualifications without reliance on non-military academic credentials explicitly documented in available records.^[2]

Military Career

Service in the Pakistan Army

M. Atiqur Rahman commenced his military service in the Pakistan Army in 1954, receiving his commission as a second lieutenant in the Regiment of Artillery.^[2] This followed his training at the Pakistan Military Academy, where he was part of the 9th Long Course batch.^[3] As an officer from East Pakistan, he operated within a force dominated by personnel from West Pakistan, where Bengali officers typically encountered limited opportunities for rapid advancement due to ethnic imbalances in recruitment and promotions.^[2] Throughout the pre-1971 period, Rahman's career involved standard artillery assignments, including training, operational readiness, and regimental duties aligned with the Pakistan Army's hierarchical structure. He progressed steadily through the ranks, achieving promotion to captain, major, and eventually lieutenant colonel by early 1971. These roles emphasized technical proficiency in field artillery operations, gunnery, and support to infantry units, reflecting the foundational military discipline he acquired under Pakistani command. His service exemplified the routine garrison and field responsibilities typical for mid-level artillery officers, contributing to the army's preparedness amid regional tensions, without notable deviations into specialized or combat commands prior to the East Pakistan crisis. Despite the prevailing underrepresentation of East Pakistani officers—comprising less than 5% of the total force despite their population majority—Rahman's advancement to lieutenant colonel underscored personal merit within constrained systemic parameters.^[2]

Involvement in the 1971 Liberation War and Transition

During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, Lieutenant Colonel M. Atiqur Rahman was stationed with the Pakistan Army's garrison in Peshawar, West Pakistan, where he served in a non-combat administrative or training capacity, detached from the conflict in East Pakistan.^[4] This posting prevented direct involvement in the Mukti Bahini operations or Bengali resistance efforts, as West Pakistan-based Bengali officers were geographically isolated from the eastern theater and subject to Pakistani military oversight amid rising ethnic suspicions.^[5] Following the Pakistani instrument of surrender on December 16, 1971, Rahman, along with approximately 1,500-2,000 other Bengali military personnel stranded in West Pakistan, faced internment in camps such as those near Mandi, where they were held under suspicion of potential disloyalty despite not being classified as prisoners of war from the eastern front.^[2] Repatriation for these officers proceeded slowly through diplomatic negotiations, including the 1972 Simla Agreement and subsequent bilateral exchanges facilitated by international mediators like the International Committee of the Red Cross, with Rahman returning to independent Bangladesh in 1974.^[2] ^[6] This process reflected pragmatic realignments rather than active defection, as many Bengali officers in West Pakistan pragmatically affirmed allegiance to the new state upon release to avoid prolonged detention or execution risks documented among repatriates.^[5] Upon repatriation, Rahman integrated into the nascent Bangladesh Army, leveraging his prior Pakistan Army experience in staff and command roles to aid in the reorganization of fragmented Mukti Bahini units into a conventional force structure, though specific assignments in 1974 remain sparsely documented beyond general officer absorption efforts.^[2] This transition marked a causal shift from partitioned service to national defense, with over 90% of repatriated Bengali officers eventually commissioned, filling critical gaps in the post-war military amid demobilization of irregular fighters.^[5]

Service in the Bangladesh Army

Following Bangladesh's independence in 1971, Rahman, an artillery officer, assumed command of the 65th Infantry Brigade, focusing on operational readiness in the eastern region amid post-war reconstruction efforts. His leadership emphasized unit cohesion and training to rebuild capabilities strained by the conflict. Promoted to major general, Rahman served as Director General of the Bangladesh Rifles from 15 December 1977 to 30 June 1982, a tenure spanning approximately four and a half years during which he directed border patrols and counter-smuggling operations to secure frontiers against infiltration and instability from neighboring regions. This role supported the army's shift toward internal security duties, including responses to sporadic unrest following the 1975 coups. Subsequently, as General Officer Commanding the 24th Infantry Division—raised in Chittagong to bolster eastern defenses—Rahman oversaw approximately 15,000 personnel in artillery-integrated formations, contributing to stabilization operations as insurgency emerged in the Chittagong Hill Tracts from 1976 onward. In this capacity, he also functioned as Martial Law Administrator for Zone C under the 1982 regime, coordinating military-civil coordination to maintain order amid political transitions and ethnic tensions. Rahman's completion of the National Defence College course (ndc) equipped him with advanced strategic perspectives, informing contributions to doctrinal updates on combined arms tactics and logistics sustainment, essential for the army's evolution into a professional force navigating coups and counter-insurgency demands through the 1980s.

Tenure as Chief of Army Staff (1986–1990)

Lieutenant General M. Atiqur Rahman assumed the position of Chief of Army Staff on 31 August 1986, succeeding Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who relinquished the role upon transitioning to the presidency while retaining influence over military affairs.^[1]^[7] His four-year tenure, ending on 30 August 1990, coincided with the Ershad regime's shift from martial law—lifted earlier in 1986—to a nominally civilian government backed by military support, amid growing domestic opposition.^[1]^[2] Rahman prioritized army professionalism and internal discipline, enforcing standards during a period of nationwide protests against Ershad's rule that escalated through the late 1980s and peaked in 1990.^[2] The Bangladesh Army, under his oversight, deployed to maintain public order without widespread reports of excessive force attributed directly to his command decisions, contributing to regime stability until Ershad's resignation.^[2]^[8] As the sole three-star general in mid-1988, he centralized strategic oversight, focusing on operational readiness rather than overt political intervention.^[8] Efforts toward army modernization continued during this era, building on Ershad-initiated expansions that had grown personnel from about 70,000 in 1982 to larger forces by the late 1980s, though specific metrics tied to Rahman's initiatives remain limited in declassified assessments. Training and institutional reforms emphasized artillery regiment expertise—Rahman's branch—and border security roles, with no verified evidence of personal corruption or resource mismanagement under his leadership.^[2] Critics associate the army's broader alignment with Ershad's authoritarian structure with enabling suppression, yet Rahman's tenure is characterized in military obituaries as upholding soldierly professionalism amid political turbulence.^[2] His successor's refusal to back Ershad highlighted a potential shift in army posture, contrasting Rahman's maintenance of institutional loyalty.

Post-Military Contributions

Advisory and Institutional Roles

Following his retirement from the Bangladesh Army in 1990, prior to the ouster of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Lieutenant General M. Atiqur Rahman adopted a low-profile existence, eschewing public engagements and institutional affiliations that might entangle him in civilian politics or advisory capacities.^[2] This approach aligned with his prior efforts as Chief of Army Staff to insulate the military from partisan interference, though no documented post-retirement initiatives—such as contributions to think tanks, authorship of memoirs, or involvement in army historical projects—have been publicly recorded.^[2] Rahman's reticence post-service contrasted with periodic trends of retired officers engaging in political commentary or advisory roles amid Bangladesh's recurring military-civilian tensions, yet contemporaries noted his adherence to apolitical norms as a model for professionalism, even if unarticulated in formal channels after 1990.^[2] Absent verifiable records of institutional participation, his influence appears confined to informal mentorship within military circles, emphasizing soldierly discipline over public advocacy against politicization.^[2]

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Atiqur Rahman had two sons, with the family residing in the United States following his retirement.^[4] His elder son pursued a military career, emulating Rahman's own service in the armed forces, indicative of a family tradition in the profession.^[4] Details regarding his spouse and other personal relationships remain undocumented in public records, reflecting the privacy maintained around his familial life amid frequent relocations due to military assignments across Pakistan and later Bangladesh.

Awards and Decorations

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In his later years following retirement, Lieutenant General M. Atiqur Rahman resided quietly in Dhaka, maintaining a low profile away from public engagements.^[2] On 20 December 2023, Rahman suffered a heart attack at approximately 10:20 a.m. while at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, where he was 92 years old.^[9]^[10] Following his death, the Bangladesh Army issued official condolences, recognizing his service as a former Chief of Army Staff.^[9] His namaz-e-janaza was performed, after which he was buried at the Military Graveyard in Banani with full military honors and state rituals.^[10]

Assessment of Career and Influence

During his tenure as Chief of Army Staff from 1986 to 1990, Atiqur Rahman prioritized operational professionalism and institutional stability within the Bangladesh Army, steering it away from direct political involvement amid the Ershad regime's martial law governance.^[2] He emphasized the army's role in upholding the rule of law and serving the populace rather than pursuing power, a stance that contrasted with predecessors who had engaged in coups.^[2] This approach contributed to the force's readiness by fostering internal cohesion post-earlier military upheavals, without documented instances of corruption or favoritism under his command.^[2] Critics have linked Rahman's service to the Ershad administration's authoritarian measures, including martial law declarations, yet evidence indicates operational neutrality, as the army refrained from suppressing the 1990 mass upsurge that culminated in Ershad's resignation on December 6, 1990.^[2] Rahman retired in November 1990 prior to the regime's collapse, avoiding any direct intervention, and no substantiated allegations of personal complicity in repressive actions emerged.^[2] This restraint countered potential politicization, preserving merit-based promotions and operational focus amid political turbulence. Rahman's influence extended to establishing a precedent for military non-interference, emulated by successors like General Nuruddin Khan, who similarly upheld neutrality during the transition to civilian rule.^[2] By prioritizing soldierly integrity over political ambition, he reinforced the army's image as a stabilizing institution rather than a partisan actor, challenging narratives of inherent military overreach in Bangladesh's governance and promoting long-term professional ethos.^[2]