Bangladesh
Birshrestha Country observes Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman's birth anniversary
Dhaka, october 29: Today is the birthday of Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman. He was born on 29 October 1941 in old Dhaka to Maulvi Abdus Samad and his wife Syeda Mubarakunnesa Khatun. He was awarded the highest national title 'Bir Shrestha' for his immense bravery in the war of liberation.
He joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1961. In 1963, he got commission from Risalpur PAF College as a pilot officer. After receiving the commission, he was posted as a General Duty Pilot in the 2nd Squadron of Mauripur (now Masroor) Air Base in Karachi. Here he completed a conversion course on T-33 jets. Matiur Rahman was a flight lieutenant during the war of liberation.
Coming on annual leave in the last week of January 1971, he became directly involved in the independence movement. For this reason, he did not return to work in March. He returned to work on May 9 to collect aircraft from Pakistan. Under the guise of regular work, he hijacked a plane and planned to join the war.
On August 20, 1971, he tried to flee from Mashroor Airport in Karachi with a T-33 training aircraft belonging to student Minhaj Rashid. The plane crashed at Thatta, 35 miles from the Indian border. This patriotic hero was martyred. His body was found intact about half a mile from the scene. He was buried in the fourth class cemetery at Masroor Base in Karachi.
This hero of Bangladesh was lying in that grave in Pakistan for about 35 years. Matiur Rahman's body was brought back to Bangladesh from Pakistan on June 23, 2006. He was again buried with full dignity on 25 June at the Martyred Intellectual Cemetery.
