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The Bir Sreshtho (Bengali: বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ) (The Most Valiant Hero) of 1971

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Shamim Ansary:
Matiur Rahman

Matiur Rahman (Bengali: মতিউর রহমান) or M. Matiur Rahman (February 21, 1945 in Dhaka - August 20, 1971) was a Flight Lieutenant in the Pakistan Air Force when the Liberation War broke out. His date of birth is sometimes given as 29 November 1941.

For his attempt to defect from the Pakistan Air Force, he was decorated with the Bir Sreshtho award by Bangladesh which is the highest honor given. The Bangladesh Air Force's Air Base at Jessore is also named after him.

He had received his primary education at Dhaka Collegiate School. Next he was admitted into PAF Public School, Sargodha in West Pakistan. After completing his twelfth class course there he entered Pakistan Air Force Academy. He was commissioned on 22 June, 1963 in the 36th GD(P) Course and was posted at Risalpur, West Pakistan. He successfully completed the Jet Conversion Course in Karachi before he was appointed a Jet Pilot in Peshawar.

On August 20, 1971 he attempted to hijack a T-33 trainer from Karachi, Pakistan to India in order to defect from the Pakistan Air Force and join the Liberation movement of Bangladesh. The T-33 aircraft was code-named 'Bluebird'. However, Matiur Rahman could not take the plane out of Pakistani territory. The plane crashed in Thatta, 40 kilometres near the Indian border because of the struggle to regain control of the plane by a Pakistani Air Force pilot, Rashid Minhas (a national hero of Pakistan). His body, which was found near the crash site, was buried at the military graveyard at Masroor Air Base.

Matiur Rahman's graveAfter over 30 years of negotiations, his body was finally returned to Bangladesh on June 24, 2006 for a ceremonial and highly symbolic reburial in 2006. He was buried at the Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard, in Mirpur, Dhaka, with full military honours.[2] His original burial in a nondescript grave in Pakistan had been a sore point between Bangladesh and Pakistan for decades.

Matiur Rahman with Waleed Ehsanul Karim and MomtazMatiur's widow, Milly, and his two infant daughters were imprisoned for a month by Pakistan Air Force, and were released on September.

Shamim Ansary:
Munshi Abdur Rouf

Munshi Abdur Rouf (Bangla: মুন্সী আবদুর রউফ) (1 May 1943-1971) was a Lance Nayek in East Pakistan Rifles during the Bangladesh Liberation War. He enrolled in the East Bengal Regiment on 8 May 1963, and was attached with a regular infantry unit during War of Liberation. Munshi Abdur Rouf embraced martyrdom on 18 April 1971 at Kurighat in Chittagong Hill Tracts after causing extensive damage to Pakistan Army with his MG and forcing them to retreat. He was buried at Naniarchor Upazilla in Rangamati District.

Early life
Munshi Abdur Rouf was born on 1 May 1943 at Salamatpur village under Boalmari thana (currently Madhukhali thana) in Faridpur District. His father Munshi Mehedi Hossain was an “Imam” at a local mosque and his mother was a Mukidunnesa. After his father death in 1955, Rouf had to stop his education education at his eighth grade. He joined the East Pakistan Rifles on 8 May 1963. He had to increase his age three years in order to get the job. After the preliminary training at the EPR camp at Chuadanga, Rouf went to West Pakistan to receive advanced training. He was appointed to Comilla after 6 months.

Death
East Bengal Regiment wanted to restrict the Pakistan Army from using the Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway. Thus, they camped at both of the Chingri Lake at Burighat. Munshi Abdur Rouf was serving as a soldier in this company. In order to prevent the Pakistan Army from utilizing the Rangamati-Mahalchari waterway, 8th East Bengal Regiment constructed a camp at both sides

On 18 April 1971, Pakistan Army attacked at the defense position of Mukti Bahini with 7 speed boats and 2 launches. Their mission was to drive the Mukti Bahini away from the waterway of Rangamati and Mohalchari. Pakistani forces managed to disorient Mukti Bahini by coming closer to them and firing heavily. In the meantime Pakistanis surrounded the freedom fighters and managed to isolate nearly 100 of them. Rouf realized the threat to the entire company. So, he crawled forward to his trench and continuously fired towards the enemies with his automatic machine gun. As a result, Pakistanis dragged their launches back to a safer place and resumed their firing from there. Suddenly a mortar directly hit Rouf and he died immediately. Munshi Abdur Rouf's valiant effort helped his company to survive as his act saved nearly 150 soldiers of the Mukti Bahini on that day.

Shamim Ansary:
Nur Mohammad Sheikh

Nur Mohammad Sheikh (Bangla: নূর মোহাম্মদ শেখ) (26 February 1936 - 5 September 1971) was a Lance Nayek in East Pakistan Rifles during the Liberation War. He was killed in an engagement with the Pakistan Army while providing fire for covering the extrication of fellow soldiers at Goalhati in Jessore district on September 5 1971. Nur Mohammad died saving his compatriots and inflicting heavy casualties on his enemy. He was awarded Bir Sreshtho, the highest state insignia of Bangladesh for his bravery and the highest sacrifice.
 
Early life
Nur Mohammad Sheikh was born at Moheshkhali village in Narail. His father was Mohammad Amanat Sheikh and mother was Mosammat Jinnatunnesa Khanam. He continued his education up to seventh grade at local schools.

On 14 March 1959, he joined the East Pakistan Rifles. After finishing the elementary training, he was appointed at the Dinajpur sector. He was transferred to Jessore sector on 1 July 1970. At March 1971, Nur Mohammad was staying at his village in a vacation. As the war started, he joined sector 8 and continued to take part at different battles at Jessore. He died on 5 September during the Goalhati Battle in Sutipur.

Battle of Goalhati
Lance Nayek Nur Mohammad was selected as the captain of the Standing Patrol team at Goalhati that was established to monitor the Pakistan army. On September 5, Nur Mohammad was patrolling with 4 fellow soldiers. The Pakistan army managed to point out the position of Nur Mohammad's team and attacked them from three different sides. Nur Mohammad wanted to retreat to his base and continued to fire towards Pakistani armies. Meanwhile, one of his fellow soldier was shot by the bullet and Nur Mohammad started carrying him towards safety. But Nur Mohammad himself was hit by a mortar. Even though he was seriously injured, Nur Mohammad decided to continue to provide covering fire for his team. At the time, his fellow Sepoy, Mostafa, urged Nur Mohammad to go with him. Mostafa even forced Nur Mohammad to go with him but Nur Mohammad refused to go but gave his Light Machine Gun to Mostafa so that it would not be captured after his death. He kept a self loaded rifle with him and kept on fighting until he died.

papelrezwan:
Salute for every of them.

rumman:
We are proud of them. They are real heroes & i always salute them for their endless sacrifice to make the country independent.   

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