Syed Mir Ali Imam Al Mamun

Lieutenant Colonel Syed Mir Ali Imam Al Mamun (born 11 September 1950) is a retired Officer of Bangladesh Army and the head of the aristocratic Padamdi family of Rajbari, present day Bangladesh.

Early life, family and Education
Born on 11 September 1950 to the aristocratic Padamdi family in Rajbari. He is the descendant of Hazrat Syed Shah Pahlowan, the founding ruler of the estate and son of Al-Hajj Syed Shamsul Huq who was a Captain of the Royal Indian Army Supply Corps and later, a civil servant with the East Pakistan Provincial Government. He attended Nawabpur Government High School in Dhaka, Notre Dame College, and then Jagannath College. He then graduated from Dhaka University with Economics and Mathematics in 1969. He joined the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul the same year and was commissioned as a Second lieutenant in the Artillery Corps of the Pakistan Army on 29 March 1970. In 1977, on 11 February, Major Mamun got married to Kalpana Mamun. They have two children. Syed Muntasir Mamun and Syeda Zarin Imam.

1970–1980
He was posted to the 35 Heavy Artillery Regiment, stationed along the main defense belt for Lahore under the IV Corps commanded by General Bahadur Shah. He was posted as the Aide-de-Camp to the Corps Commander in December 1970. He commanded a heavy artillery battery of the 35 Regiment and took part in the defense of Lahore during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

After being prisoned in Sagai Fort, Captain Mamun returned to Bangladesh under an agreement mediated by the ICRC between independent Bangladesh and Pakistan in 1973, where he was put in 7 Field Regiment Artillery in stationed in Jessore – supporting 55 Infantry Division. He led a taskforce of Army, paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, Police, and the Jatyo Rakshi Bahini in two successful operations against the communist extremists and insurgents under Operation Black Panther (OBP) in the Sarankhola Range of the Sunderbans Forests and in Kushtia. Captain Mamun was deputed to Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) as the Aide-de-Camp of the, Major General Quazi Golam Dastgir, and later, Major General Khalilur Rahman.

In the military coup in August 1975, as the ADC to DG-BDR, he commanded a contingent of more than 3,000 troops. During the time of the Soldiers' Mutiny in 1975, led by valiant freedom fighter – turned communist Colonel Abu Taher and A S M Abdur Rab, Captain Mamun was the only officer who put on the rank-badges of an officer – carrying the rank-badges of Major General Ziaur Rahman (later President of Bangladesh), and other senior officers in the breast-pockets of his olive uniform. He was close to Major General Khaled Mosharraf. He served with General M A G Osmani (the Commander-in-Chief of the Mukti Bahini – Freedom Fighters in 1971) later on. In 1976, he was promoted to the rank of a Major and put in the charge of raising 21 Rifle Wing (later, Battalion) in Jessore. In 1978 he took over command of the Romeo Battery of 15 Field Regiment Artillery.

1980–2000
Major Mamun assumed command of 14 Field Regiment Artillery – stationed in Comilla Cantonment in 1981. Major Mamun took over as the Deputy Area and Administrative Quarter Master General (DAA&QMG) of the 72 Infantry Brigade in Rangpur in 1983. Till the end of 1985, Major Mamun also served as the Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator for eight northern districts of Bangladesh.

In 1986, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and took over command of 4 Mortar Regiment Artillery stationed in Jessore Cantonment under the 55 Div-Support Artillery. It became a Field Artillery Regiment later in 1989. He then became the Chief Instructor of Artillery Training in the Artillery Center – situated in the port city of Chittagong in February 1987. In 1989, he was posted to Bogra with the 11 Infantry Division as the Area and Administrative Quarter Master General (AA&QMG).

After the fall of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad in a mass revolution for democracy in December 1990, he was posted to Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) in 1991 as Deputy Director General and Commander – first in Karnaphuli Regiment (stationed in Chittagong University), and then in Ramna Regiment (stationed in Dhaka University). 1 Field Regiment Artillery

Lt. Col. Mamun took over command of 1 Field Regiment Artillery stationed in Jahangirabad Cantonment, Bogra, under the command of 11 Artillery Brigade orbiting 11 Infantry Division on 11 February 1993. He along with the 1 Field Regiment Artillery were stationed to United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti from September 1995. Getting back home, Lt. Col. Mamun was deputed to Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) again and was posted to Paanchari as the Region Commander and Commanding Officer of 32 Rifle Battalion under the Khagrachari Hill District during the signing of the peace treaty. The Peace Treaty was signed and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) leader, Shantu Larma surrendered arms to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in February 1998. Lt. Col. Mamun was posted as Commanding Officer of the 19 Rifle Battalion (and for some time as Commander of the Dhaka Sector) the same year. He retired from active service in July 2000.

Medals and decorations

 * Victory Medal 1971
 * Constitution Medal 1972
 * Distinguished Service Medal – I 1981
 * Distinguished Service Medal – II 1991
 * Distinguished Service Medal – III 2000
 * Dabanol (Wild Fire; 1975) with Gold Bar (1997)
 * Bangladesh Rifles – Bicentennial 1995
 * United Nations Peace Medal 1996
 * Operation Black Panther 1974
 * Cyclone Relief Medal 1997
 * Parliament Elections Medal 1991