Muharrem Bajraktari

Muharrem Bajraktari (15 May 1896 — 21 January 1989) was a Muslim tribal leader in northern Albania, and a political and military figure during World War II.

Family and early life
His father was Nezir Bajraktar, and he had a brother, Bajram. He emigrated to Yugoslavia.

Pre-WWII Muslim landowners supporter
In December 1924 Bajraktari supported a leader of the Muslim landowner's party Ahmet Muhtar Bej Zogolli (later renamed to Zog) when he returned to Albania from exile and led a successful coup seizing absolute power in the country. As a reward Bajraktari was appointed for the commander of north-east gendarmerie forces. He was later appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Gendarmerie. In 1926 Bajraktari led gendarmes who, together with fighters from Dibra and Mat, punished rebellious highlander Catholic clans Shala and Shoshi. Bajraktari was dismissed from his commanding position in gendarmerie because he refused to cooperate with British-Inspector General. In 1936 Bajraktari had disagreement with Zog, left Albania and went to Yugoslavia where he met with Draža Mihailović in summer of 1936.

World War II
At the beginning of war Bajraktar was one of the leaders of the first Axis resistance actions in Albania. Until the end of 1941 Bajraktari led large bands whose number and membership continually grew.

Following British strategy to establish Balkan Union, Draža Mihailović, a leader of Yugoslav royalist resistance movement, established cooperation with Bajraktari and his forces in Albania. Mihailović already knew Bajraktari from the period when he lived in Yugoslavia for several years before World War II as a political emigrant. It is possible that British S.O.E. worked through him. According to one report he was opposed to the Kosovo Defense Committee and their methods and in good relations with Prenk Cali. Frequent meetings between Bajraktari's and Mihailovic's men were organized at the beginning of January.

Together with other elements of Balli Kombetar, Bajraktari controlled the area south of the Pukë-Kukes line at the end of World War II and secured the retreat of German army in autumn 1944.

After the war, Bajraktari, together with Fiqri Dine, worked for the Albanian Committee in Paris. He was executive member of the NCFA (National Committee for a Free Albania).