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Former army chief Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah Bir Uttam, one of the sector commanders during the Liberation War in 1971, has passed away at the age of 91 after battling health complications for years.
Ziaur Rahman Moni, personal assistant of the freedom fighter, said KM Shafiullah breathed his last around 8:45 am on Sunday at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com.
Moni said the first funeral prayer will be held after Zuhr at Kazi Abdul Hamid High School in Narayanganj’s Rupganj, followed by the second prayer after Asr at the central mosque in Dhaka Cantonment.
Shafiullah had been battling multiple health issues, including diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disorders, fatty liver, and dementia.
In his final years, he remained confined to a stretcher.
In 1971, Shafiullah was the second-in-command of the Second East Bengal Regiment in Joydebpur.
Under his leadership, the Bengali soldiers of the regiment revolted against the Pakistani military.
At the start of the Liberation War, he was the commander of Sector 3.
Later, when three regular army brigades (referred to as forces) were formed, he led the “S” Force.
For his significant contributions during the war, Shafiullah was awarded the title “Bir Uttom”.
Born on Sept 2, 1934, in Rupganj, Shafiullah served as the army chief of Bangladesh from 1972 to 1975 after independence.
Subsequently, he represented Bangladesh as an ambassador in countries such as Malaysia, Canada, Sweden, and England.
In 1991, he returned to Bangladesh but was made an officer on special duty, or OSD, for a year before voluntarily retiring the following year.
Shafiullah joined the Awami League in 1995 and contested the 1996 general election from the Narayanganj-1 constituency, securing a seat as a Member of Parliament.
In 2007, he became a member of the presidium of the Sector Commanders Forum, which was formed to accelerate the demand for the trial of war criminals from 1971.
Later, he served as the organisation's chairman.