M. A. Rab

Major General Mohammad Abdur Rab (Bengali:মোহাম্মদ আব্দুর রব)  was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army. He was appointed as Chief during Bangladesh liberation war at July 1971 and left office at April, 1972.

Eartly Life
Abdur-Rab was born at village of Khagaura under Baniachang thana of Habiganj in 1919. A lifelong bachelor, he was elected as lawmaker from the Jatiya Sangsad constituency comprising Baniachang and Ajmiriganj thanas.

Army Chief of Staff
Lieutenant Colonel Abdur-Rab was made Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army in April 1971 during Bangladesh Liberation War at the inception of the force. He served Chief of Armed Forces General Osmani.

Just hours ahead of the surrender of Pakistan Army on 16 December of 1971 in Dhaka, machine guns fired on the helicopter carrying General Osmani and Abdur Rab. Abdur-Rab sustained serious wounds. Although all of them survived, they could not join the surrender act in the capital on that historic day. This is considered to be one of the mysterious events of Bangladesh Liberation War.

After Independence of Bangladesh
Abdurab was honoured with the 'Bir Uttam', the country's second highest award. He served as Chief of Army Staff till 7 April 1972. Abdurrabb was awarded the rank of Major General. This organised the Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust and ran it successfully for years.

Death
Major General Abdur-Rab died 14 November, 1975 at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka at age 56. He had been suffering from ailments including anemia. He was laid to rest at his village of Umednagar on the banks of Khowai River in Habiganj.

His younger brother Abdur Rahim said that no pension was paid to any of his family members. Major General AbdurRab's grave is at the district headquarters of Habiganj. Other than some local freedom fighters, nobody was seen to go visit the site, even on the country's national days.