Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-10-30T08:47:29Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:17, 30 October 2022
(No difference)

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-10-30T08:47:29Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

New page

{{Short description|Veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Quazi Sazzad Ali Zahir
| image =
[[thumb]]
| native_name = কাজী সাজ্জাদ আলী জহির
[[File:Qazi Sajjad .webp|thumb]]
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|4|11}}
| birth_place = Chausai, [[Comilla District]], [[East Pakistan]] ({{smaller|now [[Bangladesh]]}})
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| citizenship = {{Flag|Pakistan}} (before 1971)<br/>{{Flag|Bangladesh}}
| occupation =
| known_for = Participation in the [[Bangladesh Liberation war]]
| awards = [[Independence Award]], [[Bir Protik]], [[Padma Shri]]
| successor =
| party =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| signature =
| footnotes =
}}
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) '''Quazi Sazzad Ali Zahir''' (born April 11, 1951) is a veteran of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]. The Bangladesh government awarded him the [[Bir Protik]] gallantary award for his bravery in the war. He was conferred with the [[Independence Award]], Bangladesh's highest civilian in 2013 and India's fourth highest civilian award the [[Padma Shri]] on November 9, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-11-09|title=Liberation war veteran Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir receives India's Padma Shri Award|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/world/south-asia/2021/11/09/liberation-war-veteran-quazi-sajjad-ali-zahir-receives-india-s-padma-shri-award|access-date=2021-11-10|work=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref><ref name=Padma>{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57307 |title=PIB Press Release: This Year's Padma Awards announced |publisher=Pib.nic.in |access-date=2011-02-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/shinzo-abe-tarun-gogoi-ram-vilas-paswan-among-padma-award-winners-complete-list/articleshow/80453596.cms |title=Shinzo Abe, Tarun Gogoi, Ram Vilas Paswan among Padma Award winners: Complete list |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=25 January 2021 |access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Zaheer was born in Chausai, Daudkandi Upazila, [[Comilla District]] on 11 April 1951.<ref>{{Cite news|date=26 March 2012|title=Valour of ordinary people|work=The Daily Star|url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2012/26_march/pg3.htm|access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> in [[East Pakistan]] now [[Bangladesh]].

== Career ==
Zahir joined the Pakistan Army at the end of 1969 as a cadet. In 1971, he was training as a senior cadet at the [[Kakul Military Academy]] in Pakistan.<ref name=":0" />

Zahir was commissioned in the Artillery Corps of the Pakistan Army in August. Posting is in 6th Field Artillery Regiment Sialkot.<ref name="shatoMonishi" /> When the Bangladesh Liberation war started, he fled from Pakistan at the end of August and came to India to join the war. He crossed the border with Pak Army deployment maps stuffed inside his boots and Rs. 20 in his pocket. Initially he was considered to be a Pakistani spy sent to distract the Indian Army prior to the launch of an invasion. He was interrogated by Indian Army officials before being taken to Pathankot for further grilling. Here he produced maps of troop deployments across the border. When established that he was not a spy but was a Pak defector who wanted to help with the war effort, he was sent to Delhi and lodged up in safe house for a further period of 9 months.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=একাত্তরের বীরযোদ্ধাদের অবিস্মরণীয় জীবনগাঁথা, খেতাবপ্রাপ্ত মুক্তিযোদ্ধা সম্মাননা স্মারকগ্রহন্থ|publisher=জনতা ব্যাংক লিমিটেড|date=June 2012|isbn=9789843351449|page=495}}</ref>

Zahir joined the Bangladesh Liberation war in September 1971. He organized the 2nd Artillery Force under Sector 4 in the Sylhet region. At that time the Indian government gave six 105 mm artillery to the [[Mukti Bahini]] and with that a field artillery battery was formed for the Mukti Bahini. It is named Raushan Ara Battery. He was the co-captain of this group. Since October, the battery had assisted the Mukti Bahini Z Force in the greater Sylhet region with artillery fire support in various battles.<ref name="shatoMonishi">{{Cite book|title=একাত্তরের বীর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা (দ্বিতীয় খন্ড)|date=March 2013|publisher=Prothom Prokashon|isbn=9789849025375|pages=329|language=bn}}</ref>

After the liberation war, he has been at the vanguard of educating the next generation about all that happened during those turbulent years, during which millions of Bangladeshi patriots were tortured and sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. Among his other accomplishments, he pioneered the concept of producing graphic novels for children, focusing on the Mukti Joddhas' martyrdom and the Indian Army's role in the liberation of Bangladesh.<ref name="TOI">{{cite news |last= Gupta|first= Jayanta|date=28 January 2021|title=A genocide anywhere is a genocide everywhere|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/a-genocide-anywhere-is-a-genocide-everywhere/articleshow/80488769.cms|newspaper=Times of India }}</ref>

In 2013, Zahir was awarded the Bangladesh [[Independence Award]], the highest civilian award, for his contribution to the liberation war.<ref>{{Cite news |date=25 March 2013|title=Eight receive Independence Awards|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/03/25/eight-receive-independence-awards|access-date=15 July 2020|work=bdnews24.com}}</ref>

Zahir approached Prime Minister [[Sheikh Hasina]] to provide award and recognition to Indian soldiers killed in the Bangladesh Liberation war. He is co-coordinating the project with the Government of Bangladesh to provide crests to Indian soldiers killed in the war.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zaman|first=Mir Afroz|date=3 June 2019|title=Bangladesh waiting for Indian clearance to hand over crests to families of martyred soldiers|work=United News of India|url=http://www.uniindia.com/bangladesh-waiting-for-indian-clearance-to-hand-over-crests-to-families-of-martyred-soldiers/world/news/1620152.html|access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> He founded Shuddhoi Muktijoddho to provide recognition to Tribal veterans of Bangladesh Liberation war.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-01-06|title=Once we were heroes|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-70159|access-date=2020-07-15|work=The Daily Star|language=en}}</ref>

He has been awarded [[Padma Shri]] for his contribution in the field of Public Affairs on 2021 by the president of India Shri Ramnath Kovind.<ref>{{cite news |title=2 bangladeshis get indias padma award |url=http://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/2-bangladeshis-get-indias-padma-award/63908 |work=[[United News of Bangladesh]] }}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
* [[File:Bir_Protik_ribbon.svg|70px]] – [[Bir Protik]] Award, fourth highest gallantry award in Bangladesh.
* [[File:Independence_Day_Award_Ribbon.jpg|70px]] – [[Independence Award|Swadhinata Padak]] in 2013, highest civilian award in Bangladesh.
* [[File:Padma Shri Ribbon.svg|70px]] – [[Padma Shri]] in 2021, fourth highest civilian award in India,

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Public Affairs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahir, Quazi Sazzad Ali}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Bir Protik]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]
[[Category:People from Comilla District]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Army officers]]
[[Category:Mukti Bahini personnel]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri]]

Quazi Sazzad Ali Zahir - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.