Matiur Rahman (Bir Sreshtho)
Matiur Rahman | |
|---|---|
| Native name | মতিউর রহমান |
| Born | 29 October 1941 |
| Died | 20 August 1971 (aged 29) |
| Buried | Buddhijibi Graveyard |
| Allegiance | Pakistan (until March 1971) Bangladesh (from March 1971) |
| Branch | Pakistan Air Force (1963 – March 1971) Bangladesh Air Force (March 1971 – 20 August 1971) |
| Service years | 1963–1971 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Service number | PAK-4367 |
| Unit | No. 2 Squadron |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Bir Sreshtho |
| Alma mater | Dhaka Collegiate School |
| Spouse | Milly Rahman |
Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, Bir Sreshtho (29 October 1941 – 20 August 1971) was a Bengali fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and a recipient of Bir Sreshtho, Bangladesh's highest military award, for his actions during the Bangladesh War of Independence.
He attempted to escape from West Pakistan and join the Bangladesh War of Independence in then East Pakistan by hijacking a Lockheed T-33 aircraft being flown by a 20-year-old newly commissioned Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who was conducting his second solo flight. Rahman stopped the aircraft on the runway, climbed into the cockpit, and steered the aircraft toward the Indian border, but Minhas soon realized his intentions and fought against him through the mechanically linked controls. Minhas then released the canopy, and since he was not properly strapped in, Rahman was sucked out of the cockpit. Minhas then tried to recover the plane, but it crashed since it was flying too low, killing him as well. For his efforts, Minhas was given Pakistan's highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider, becoming the first and only officer from the PAF and also the youngest member of the armed forces to receive the honour. For his support to the state of Bangladesh, Rahman was decorated by Bangladesh with the Bir Sreshtho award.