Atiqur Rahman

Lieutenant General Atiqur Rahman
5th Chief of Army Staff
In office 1 September 1986 – 31 August 1990
President	Hussain Muhammad Ershad
Prime Minister	Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury Moudud Ahmed Kazi Zafar Ahmed
Preceded by	Hussain Muhammad Ershad
Succeeded by	Nuruddin Khan
4th Director General of Bangladesh Rifles
In office 15 December 1977 – 30 June 1982
President	Ziaur Rahman Abdus Sattar A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury
Prime Minister	Mashiur Rahman Shah Azizur Rahman
Preceded by	Quazi Golam Dastgir
Succeeded by	R. A. M. Golam Muktadir
Personal details
Born	(1931-09-01)1 September 1931 Murshidabad, Bengal, British India
Died	20 December 2023(2023-12-20) (aged 92) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan (before 1971) Bangladesh
Branch	Pakistan Army  Bangladesh Army Bangladesh Rifles
Service years	1954–1990
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Regiment of Artillery
Commands	65th Infantry Brigade GOC of 24th Infantry Division QMG at Army Headquarters DG of Bangladesh Rifles PSO of Armed Forces Division AG at Army Headquarter 7th Chief of Army Staff
Conflicts	Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 Bangladesh Liberation War (as POW) Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict 1982 coup d'état

M. Atiqur Rahman ndc, G+ (1 September 1931 – 20 December 2023) was a Lieutenant General and Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff from 1986 to 1990.

M. Atiqur Rahman was born in Murshidabad. He studied at Union Academy, Delhi. His father Abdur Rahman was an Officer in Ministry of Defence. After the partition of India, his father was sent to Rawalpindi where he attended Gordon College, Rawalpindi. He earned his B.Sc. Degree from there.

Atiqur Rahman joined the Pakistan Army on 28 August 1951. He was commissioned from 9th PMA Long Course on 13 March 1954 in the Pakistan Army's artillery regiment. He was posted to the 20 Heavy Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment. As a Major, he served as the Ground testing Officer in Inter Service Selection Board. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he served as the Commanding Officer of 13 LAA Regiment.^[1]

Rahman could not join the Bangladesh Liberation War, as he was held as a prisoner of war (POW) in West Pakistan. He was repatriated from Pakistan in 1974 and was allowed to join the Bangladesh Army.^[2] He was the second repatriated officer to become Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff after Ershad. On 13 November 1973, he was appointed as the Director of Department of Artillery. On 15 May 1974, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. He was appointed as the first Colonel Commandant of the Regiment of Artillery.

During the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he was a Colonel and was posted as Director at Army Headquarters. On 23 October 1975, he was appointed as the Commander of 65th Independent Infantry Brigade. On 19 April 1976, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier. On 17 July, he established the 24th Infantry Division. Later, he was appointed as the Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters. On 25 August, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.

Rahman served as director general of the Bangladesh Rifles (now the Bangladesh Border Guard) from 1977 to 1982.^[3] He played a crucial role in Ershad's bloodless coup in 1982.^[4] Later on 25 May 1983, he was appointed as the Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division. He was briefly appointed Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army in 1986.^[5]

Rahman being the senior most Major General, Ershad promoted M Atiqur to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army on 1 September 1986.^[6]

As army chief, he was crucial to the introduction of Bangladesh military personnenl into the UN peacekeeping forces. As the Bangladesh Army was infantry-heavy, he encouraged officers from other corps, such as Artillery and Signal Corps, to serve in infantry roles in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He later pointed out that this was crucial to the military's later success in the UN peacekeeping forces.^[5]

He also pulled the military away from politics and chose not to intevene during the anti-Ershad protests. This would later be emulated by his successors as well.^[2]

Rahman retired from the Bangladesh Army with full military honours in August 1990. He was succeeded by Nuruddin Khan as appointed by President Hussain Muhammad Ershad.^[2]

In 1961, he was married to Begum Munira Mohabbat. They had two sons and one daughter. Begum Munira Died in 2010.

After retirement General Atiqur Rahman stayed away from public eye and did not pursue a political career.

In November of 2023, "Retired Gunner Officers" of the Bangladesh Army organised a meet and greet function for him at the RAOWA club.^[5] In that event, General Rahman recounted his past experiences and advised the military to study new military tactics to adapt to the battles of the future. ^[5]

Atiqur Rahman later died from a heart attack in Dhaka, on 20 December 2023, at the age of 92.^[7]