Staff Correspondent

Today marks the 64th death anniversary of veteran military officer Maj Abdul Gani, founder of East Bengal Regiment.

He was born in Cumilla’s

Brahmanpara. He studied in Cumilla, and later in Kolkata. He graduated from Kolkata Islamia College in 1940 and joined the British Indian Army in 1941, during the Second World War. He was commissioned as a lieutenant, and fought in the Burma sector. As a mark for his courage, he was nicknamed “Tiger Gani”.

Following the Partition of India, he was promoted to captain in 1948. He dreamt of an independent Bangladesh, and so, established the regiment in 1948 to give a unique identity to Bengali soldiers. Maj Gani was one of the greatest military officers of the nation, who directly protested the then Pakistani president Ayub Khan’s speech against the Bangla language in 1948.

The relief he received after the establishment of East Bengal Regiment did not last long, as Pakistani rulers deprived him of everything, including promotion. Angered, he quit his service in 1953 and joined politics and eventually got elected as member of East Pakistan Provincial Assembly as an independent candidate.

Bangladesh Army and Major Gani Parishad will pay tributes at his mausoleum, while RAOWA, and the parishad jointly organised a doa-mahfil today.