TDS Desk:

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Abdul Karim Khandker, Bir Uttom, former deputy commander of the Liberation War and the first chief of the Bangladesh Air Force, died on Saturday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. He was 95.

He passed away at 10:35am due to age-related complications, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

AK Khandker is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

He had been suffering from multiple ailments for several years and was admitted to CMH on December 7 as his condition deteriorated.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held tomorrow after Zuhr prayers at Bangladesh Air Force Base Bashar in Dhaka Cantonment. Following the janaza and state honours, he will be buried at the military graveyard.

During the Liberation War, AK Khandker played a pivotal role in organising the armed struggle. In March 1971, he was serving as a group captain at Dhaka Cantonment. On May 15, 1971, he crossed into India with fellow officers, reaching Agartala in Tripura. The following day, he met Liberation Army chief Col Ataul Gani Osmani and members of the government-in-exile, after which he was assigned the responsibility of deputy commander of the Liberation War.

He also played a leading role in forming the Bangladesh Air Force and was appointed coordinator of Operation Kilo Flight in late August 1971. On December 16, during the surrender of Pakistani forces, he represented the Liberation Army in the absence of Col Osmani.

Born on January 1, 1930, in Rangpur, AK Khandker’s ancestral home was in Bera upazila of Pabna. He joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1949.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow at his death, describing Abdul Karim as an unforgettable soldier of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence.

In a condolence message, Yunus said the nation had lost a heroic son and prayed for the departed soul, extending sympathy to the bereaved family, fellow freedom fighters and admirers.