Muhammad Ghulam Tawab

Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Ghulam Tawab (1 July 1930 – 23 February 1999) was the second chief of the air staff of Bangladesh Air Force who also served as deputy chief martial law administrator of Bangladesh with Ziaur Rahman and M. H. Khan from 1975 to 1977. During the nations war of independence Group Captain Tawab was barred from participating in the struggle due to internal politics spearheaded by A.K. Khandker. However, he remained in contact with General Osmani, and after 16 December 1971, Tawab immediately returned to Bangladesh and General M.A.G. Osmani appointed Tawab as his principal deputy with the rank of Air Commodore at the Bangladesh Forces interim Headquarters in the older 14 Division HQ's office of Pakistan Army at Dhaka Cantoment. Within a short period of three months Tawab played his part in the creation and organization of Bangladesh Air Force, while A. K. Khandker remained in India under the Indian authorities which to this day remains a mystery. Though a short lived tenure, along with Osamni's resignation as Commander in Chief of Bangladesh Forces on April 21, 1972, Tawab had to leave the country due to political meddling of the Awami League administration spearheaded by none other than Khandker. After Sheikh Mujib's assassination in August 1975, Tawab was immediately recalled from West Germany to active duty by Major Dalim upon then Wing Commander M. Hamidullah Khan's advice. Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandker was promptly dismissed, and Tawab was reinstated to Bangladesh Air Force and appointed the Chief of Air Staff with the rank of Air Vice Marshal. During Tawabs command Bangladesh Air Force reemerged as an active department of armed forces of Bangladesh and received its accurate transformation and structuring. In less than two years, under Tawab's tremendous and dedication hard work he created the Ground Defense Command under the office of the ACOS for tactical base defense and the Bangladesh Air Force Academy. M. G. Tawab retired from Bangladesh Air Force in 1977 and returned to West Germany. He died in Munich on February 23, 1999 from prostate cancer after several years of heroic fight against this deadly affliction.

Brief

Tawab was born in a village near Sylhet, of Bengal Province, British Indian Empire, on July 1, 1930. After graduating college Tawab joined the Pakistan Air Force and was commissioned with the 9th GD(P) course as a pilot officer in the PAF. He graduated from PAF College Risalpur on September 15, 1951. Tawab excelled in the PAF by reputation and professionally as well as in Bangladesh Air Force. In 1965, during Indo-Pak war on the western front, Tawab brilliant performance won him great recognition and the highest gallantry award. In 1975, Tawab was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed as Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force. He was married to Henrietta, a German national, and has two sons and a daughter.

Bangladesh Air Force

Tawab left the PAF in the summer of 1971 and went to Bangkok, Thailand, from where he tried to join forces with General M A G Osmani at 8 Theatre Rd., Calcutta, India. He was barred by Indian authorities under the influence of A.K. Khandker to participate in the glorious war of independence in 1971. Furthermore, he was well known as a Pakistan Air Force fighter ace, as he was awarded the prestigious gallantry award of Sitara-i-Jurat for his extreme bravery in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. With his excellent record as a highly qualified fighter pilot, he with a little effort got a job as a test pilot with a German aircraft manufacturing company and as instructor pilot with a flying school there. He was a dare-devil and liked challenges wherever he found them. After retirement Tawab returned to Munich Germany and started indenting business of sorts. He had lived in Munich since with his wife and three children till his death.

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