Hoque, SM Imdadul

Hoque, SM Imdadul (1949-1971) army officer, martyr freedom fighter. S M Imdadul Hoque was born on 17 January 1949 at village Parnakanda in Jessore district. His father was S M Abdul Hoque. Imdadul Hoque passed Matriculation examination in 1963. He joined the Pakistan Air Force as a soldier in 1964. While an airman in Kohat Base he fought in the Indo-Pak War in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of corporal on 8 September 1966. While in service he passed I A examination in 1968. He joined the Pakistan Military Academy as an officer cadet of Pakistan Army on 14 May 1970. Imdadul Hoque secretly left the Military Academy in May 1971 and joined the War of Liberation. He was appointed as commander of the 'C'; company of 8 East Bengal Regiment. He launched a severe attack on the Pakistan army at Sagarnal tea garden area of Sylhet on the night of 15 October 1971 and destroyed their machine-gun post while the Pakistani soldiers were compelled to retreat.

On 6 November, Imdadul Hoque with his force launched an attack on the Pakistan army encamped at Dhamai tea garden. The advance of the freedom fighters was obstructed due to incessant firing from an enemy machine gun. With an object of destroying the machine gun post, Imdadul Hoque with granade in hand proceeded towards the bunker by crawling. But the moment he threw the granade from a short distance into the bunker an enemy bullet caused him to succumb to death.

Imdadul Hoque was posthumously commissioned by the Bangladesh Army. The Government of Bangladesh conferred upon him the gallantry title of 'Bir Uttam'; in recognition of his valour and sacrifice in the War of Liberation. [Qazi Sajjad Ali Zahir] [Zahir, Qazi Sajjad Ali  Lieutenant Colonel (retd), Bangladesh Army]