Mohammad Ishfaqul Mazid
Majid in his family home in Shillong, Assam (1942)
Native name
মুহাম্মদ ইশফাকুল মজিদ
Born(1903-03-17)17 March 1903
Jorhat, Assam, British India (now Assam, India)
Died31 March 1976(1976-03-31) (aged 73)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Allegiance
Service/branch British Indian Army (1924–1947)
 Pakistan Army (1947–1951)
Years of service1924-1951
Rank Major General
UnitRoyal Lincolnshire Regiment
Commands held
Battles/warsWorld War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948
Bangladesh Liberation War
Alma mater

Muhammed Ishfakul Majid (17 March 1903 — 31 March 1976) was the first Bengali general in the Pakistan Army.[1]

Early life and education

Majid was born on 17 March 1903 in Jorhat, Assam, British India to Abdul Majid, the first Muslim who served as a Justice in the Bengal High Court.[1] He completed his undergraduate in Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam. On 2 February 1922, he joined the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was the first Bengali Muslim to graduate from Sandhurst.[1]

Military career

Majid with British and Indian army officers (1934)

Majid joined the Royal Military College, Sandhurst on 2 February 1922. He was commissioned on 27 August 1924 on the Unattached List for the Indian Army. After his commission, he was attached with the second battalion of Lincolnshire Regiment of the British Army for a year. On 31 October 1925, he was accepted for the British Indian Army, being posted to the 4th Battalion 19th Hyderabad Regiment. He was promoted Lieutenant on 27 November 1926, Captain on 27 August 1933 and Major on 1 December 1941. He served in Burma and British Malaya during the Second World War attached to the Assam Regiment.[1]

In 1947, Majid joined the Pakistan Army. In Pakistan Army, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.[2] He became the GOC of the 9 Division of the Pakistan Army. Majid was senior to Ayub Khan but Ayub Khan became the Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army bypassing him. Majid was named in the Rawalpindi conspiracy but later he was proved innocent.[1]

Majid returned to East Pakistan in 1962. He and Colonel M. A. G. Osmani met Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in March 1971 on behalf of the retired Bengali soldiers and showed their loyalty towards an independent Bangladesh. Majid was later arrested by the Pakistan Army. He was tortured in custody.[1]

Personal life

Majid married three times. In 1935, Majid married Ayesha Rahim, the youngest daughter of Justice Sir Abdur Rahim of Midnapore, Bengal.[3] Ayesha's eldest sister, Niaz Fatima, was married to Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. After Ayesha's death in 1941, Majid married Zohra Raja, the sister-in-law of the Raja of Nanpara State in Baraich (now in Uttar Pradesh).[3] The marriage ended in a divorce in the late 1950s.[3] After moving to East Pakistan, he married Begum Marium Ladli in 1961. The couple adopted a daughter.[3]

Death

Majid died on 31 March 1976 in Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka.[1]

Sources

  • London Gazette (various dates)
  • Indian Army List (various dates)
  • The History Of The Assam Regiment Vol-I (Captain Peter Steyn)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Mazid, Mohammad Ishfaqul". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Shah, Sabir. "Appointments of Pakistan Army commanders and historic facts". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Khan, Waqar A. (1 November 2021). "Maj. Gen. Ishfakul Majid: Soldier & Gentleman". The Daily Star. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
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