Coincidence or Destiny?

- Haroon R Siddiqis collection

Then Gentleman Cadet Ziaur Rahman(seated 1st from left with his platoon) as Company Sergeant Major at Tariq company in September 1955(12th PMA long course)

pparently there is nothing unusual about this group-photo comprising twenty-two gentleman cadets with their platoon commander Captain Mohd Shuaib, seated fourth from the right, from Pakistan Military Academy Kakul 12th Long Course, Tariq Company, Platoon Number 5, Final Term and September 1955. If looked closely, one can see that the gentleman cadet/company sergeant major, seated first from the left, is none other than Ziaur Rahman who was a major and serving with the 8th East Bengal Regiment (stationed at Chittagong) when the former East Pakistan was

fomenting with anger and drifting towards independence in 1971. In fact, Ziaur Rahman had read the proclamation of independence on 27th March, 1971 on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while leading his troops with enormous support of the Mukti Bahini against the Pakistan forces. Subsequently, Ziaur Rahman became the army chief/chief martial law administrator on 7th November, 1975 and later assumed the presidency of Bangladesh as well on 21st April, 1977. However, Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in Chittagong in May 1981 by the dissident elements of military. The segment which actually inspired me for the write-up is an untold piece of history. The first three seated gentleman cadets from the left i.e., CSM Ziaur Rahman, JUO A. R. Siddiqi and SUO Ijaz Mustafa Syed were not only the brightest but close friends as well as. Ijaz Mustafa Syed was a major in 1971 and although on leave, volunteered to join his unit which had been sent to East Pakistan like many other units for quelling the insurgency which was at its peak. Major Ijaz Mustafa Syed who was leading his company was ambushed somewhere in the remit of thana Lalmonirhat of district Rangpur which is situated in the north of Bangladesh now. Major Ijaz Mustafa Syed was martyred for which he yearned from the day he joined the PMA after giving up a promising medical career. One may call it an irony of fate that the Mukti Bahini who killed Major Ijaz Mustafa Syed was led by his cadetdays friend, Major Ziaur Rahman. That is why it is said that everything is fair in love and war. Haroon R Siddiqi