Atiqur Rahman

For the Bangladeshi physician, see Atiqur Rahman (doctor).

Lieutenant General (Retd.) M. 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	Bangladesh Pakistan (before 1971)
Branch/service	Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army Bangladesh Rifles
Years of service	1954-1990
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Regiment of Artillery
Commands	Commander of 65th Infantry Brigade GOC of 24th Infantry Division Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters DG of Bangladesh Rifles PSO of Armed Forces Division AG at Army Headquarter 7th Chief of Army Staff
Battles/wars	Indo-Pak War of 1965 Bangladesh Liberation War (As P.O.W.) Chittagong Hill Tracts Conflict 1982 coup d'état

M. Atiqur Rahman (1 September 1931 – 20 December 2023) was a lieutenant general and Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff from 1986 to 1990.

Early life

M. Atiqur Rahman was born in Murshidabad. He studied at Union Academy, Delhi. His father Abdur Rahman was a 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.

Military career

Pakistan Army

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.

Bangladesh Army

Rahman did not join the Bangladesh Liberation War, as he was held as a prisoner of war (POW). He returned from Pakistan in 1974 and was allowed to join the Bangladesh Army. He was the second returned Pakistan 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 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 65 Independent Infantry Brigade. On 19 April 1976, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier. On 17 July, he established the 24 Infantry Division. Later he was appointed as the Quartermaster General in 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. Later on 25 May 1983, he was appointed as the Principal Staff Officer of Armed Forces Division. He was appointed Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army in 1986.

Rahman being the senior most major general Ershad promoted M Atiqur him to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army on 1 September 1986.

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.

Personal Life

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

Later life and death

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

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