View source for K. M. Shafiullah

{{Short description|2nd Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army (1934–2025)}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Kazi Mohammed Safiullah
| native_name         = 
| native_name_lang    = bn
| honorific_suffix    = [[Bir Uttom|BU]]
| image               = K. M. Shafiullah photo.jpeg
| image_size          = 220
| alma_mater          = [[Pakistan Military Academy]]
| constituency_MP     = [[Narayanganj-1]]
| parliament          = Bangladesh
| predecessor         = [[Abdul Matin Chowdhury (politician)|Abdul Matin Chowdhury]]
| successor           = Abdul Matin Chowdhury
| term_start          = 14 July 1996
| term_end            = 13 July 2001
| office1             = [[List of high commissioners of Bangladesh to the United Kingdom|Bangladesh High Commissioner<br/>to United Kingdom]]
| predecessor1        = [[Mir Shawkat Ali]]
| successor1          = M. M. Rezaul Karim
| term_start1         = 31 July 1987
| term_end1           = 3 June 1991
| office2             = [[List of high commissioners of Bangladesh to Canada|Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada]]
| predecessor2        = [[M Hossain Ali]]
| successor2          = [[A. N. M. Nuruzzaman]]
| term_start2         = August 1981
| term_end2           = September 1986
| office3             = [[Bangladesh|Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia]]
| predecessor3        = Zamiruddin Ahmed
| successor3          = Mustafizur Raham
| term_start3         = 12 January 1976
| term_end3           = 9 July 1981
| office4             = 2nd [[Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army|Chief of Army Staff]]
| president4          = [[Abu Sayeed Chowdhury]]<br />[[Mohammad Mohammadullah]]<br />[[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]]<br />[[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad]]
| primeminister4      = Sheikh Mujibur Rahman<br />[[Muhammad Mansur Ali]]
| predecessor4        = [[M. A. G. Osmani]]<br/>''(as Commander-in-Chief)''
| successor4          = [[Ziaur Rahman]]
| term_start4         = 7 April 1972
| term_end4           = 25 August 1975
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1934|9|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Rupganj Upazila|Rupganj]], Bengal Presidency, British India
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2025|01|26|1934|09|02|df=yes}}
| death_place         = [[Combined Military Hospital (Dhaka)|Combined Military Hospital]], Dhaka Division, Bangladesh
| allegiance          = {{flag|Bangladesh}}<br />{{flag|Pakistan}} (before 1971)
| branch              = {{plainlist|*{{army|Bangladesh}}
* {{army|Pakistan}}}}
| branch_label        = Branch
| serviceyears        = 1955–1975
| serviceyears_label  = Service&nbsp;years
| rank                = [[File:Bangladesh-army-OF-7.svg|20px]] [[Major general (Bangladesh)|Major General]]<br />[[File:BD Army Major General Star Plate.svg|20px]]
| unit                = [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]]<br />[[East Bengal Regiment]]
| commands            = *Commander of [[List of sectors in the Bangladesh Liberation War|Sector – III]]
* Commander of [[S Force (Bangladesh)|S Force]]
* Commander of [[46th Independent Infantry Brigade]]
* [[Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army|Chief of Army Staff]]
| battles             = [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
| battles_label       = Conflict
| awards              = [[File:Bir Uttom ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Bir Uttom]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171023063723/https://molwa.gov.bd/site/page/3f3b7628-3ac7-4927-bf6f-c9203fae601f/Bir-Uttam Bangladesh Gazette of 15 December, 1973; Ministry of Liberation War Affairs]</ref>
| honorific_prefix    = [[Major General]]
| party               = [[Awami League]]
}}

'''Kazi Mohammed Safiullah''', [[Bir Uttam|BU]], [[psc (military)|psc]] ({{langx|bn|কাজী মুহাম্মদ সফিউল্লাহ}}; 2 September 1934 – 26 January 2025) was a retired [[two star rank|two star]] army officer and diplomat. He served as the 2nd [[Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Manik |first1=Julfikar Ali |last2=Ahmed |first2=Inam |date=31 January 2010 |title=In eyes of Gen Shafiullah |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-124155 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=20 June 2015}}</ref> and a [[Jatiya Sangsad]] member for Awami League. He gained prominence for leading the ''[[S Force (Bangladesh)|S Force]]'', a prominent brigade during the [[Liberation War of Bangladesh|Bangladesh Liberation War]] that played a pivotal role in the conflict of 1971.

As the second in command of Second [[East Bengal Regiment]], along with his battalion, Safiullah was the first Bengali officer to stage a rebellion on 19 March 1971 while 57 Bde. Commander-Brig. Jahanzeb Arbab came to visit Joydevpur. He killed four non-Bengali officers of his own unit along with several non-Bengali soldiers hailing from then West Pakistan.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} During the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] of 1971, he was the second in command of Second East Bengal Regiment that revolted with six officers on the night of 4 April 1971. He became the sector commander of Sector 3, headquartered in Teliapara, Sylhet. He directly participated in active combat and escaped certain death at least in two such combats. Towards the end of September he was appointed one of three brigade commanders, leading what was called the "[[S Force (Bangladesh)|S-force]]" (after his surname) during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 July 2013 |title=KM Shafiullah hospitalised |url=http://www.risingbd.com/english/KM_Shafiullah_hospitalised/4527 |work=risingbd.com |access-date=21 June 2015}}</ref>

Safiullah became Chief of Army Staff in April 1972. After the [[15 August 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état]], President [[Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad]] replaced him with Major General [[Ziaur Rahman]].

==Early life and education==
Safiullah was born on 2 September 1934 in [[Rupganj Upazila]] [[Narayanganj District]]. He passed his matriculation in 1950 from Murapara High School. Later he studied in Govt. Haraganga College, Munshiganj. While studying in Govt. Haraganga College he joined the [[Pakistan Army]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://bangla.thedailystar.net/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8-%E0%A6%90%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8/%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%AE-300661|title=খেতাবপ্রাপ্ত বীর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা: কাজী মুহাম্মদ শফিউল্লাহ, বীর উত্তম|first=আহমাদ|last=ইশতিয়াক|date=3 January 2022|website=The Daily Star Bangla|lang=bn}}</ref>

==Military career==
Safiullah was commissioned from 12 PMA Long Course in 1955.<ref>{{cite book |date=1989 |editor1-last=Heitzman |editor1-first=James |editor2-last=Worden |editor2-first=Robert |title=Bangladesh: A Country Study |url=https://cdn.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/ba/bangladeshcountr00heit/bangladeshcountr00heit.pdf |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Federal Research Division, Library of Congress |page=262}}</ref> His initial parent unit was in [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|16th Punjab Regiment]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.somewhereinblog.net/mobile/blog/AnwarShahjahan/30044108 |title=কে এম সফিউল্লাহ, বীর-উত্তম − AnwarShahjahan's bangla blog}}</ref> He also served as a Instructor in the [[School of Infantry and Tactics (Pakistan)|School of Infantry and Tactics]]. In 1970 he was posted to 2nd East Bengal Regiment.<ref name="auto"/>

==Bangladesh Liberation War==
{{see also|Bangladesh Liberation War}}
Prior to [[Operation Searchlight]], Major K M Safiullah was in 2nd East Bengal Regiment, where he and other men of his company revolted and killed 4 West Pakistani officers and a few West Pakistani soldiers.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Eastern Theatre 1971 War Command & Staff College Military History Primer: 2011 |year=2011 |pages=34}}</ref> After open hostilities Safiullah at that time was Sector Commander of [[Bangladesh Forces]] Sector 3. His sector was headquartered in Teliapara, Sylhet from where he commanded his troops and took part in active combats during the entire duration of the war. His sector's areas were [[Dhaka District|Dhaka]], [[Mymensingh]], [[Sylhet District|Sylhet]] and parts of [[Comilla District|Comilla]] (present [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]] district).<ref>{{cite news |title=Major General K. M. Shafiullah Speaks to VOA |url=http://www.voabangla.com/content/a-16-2007-12-03-voa6-94412674/1393549.html |website=Voice of America, Bangla Service |type=Interview |access-date=21 June 2015}}</ref>

Later three brigades were formed, each identified by the initial of the commander's surname. His formation was fully structured and formalised by the end of September. As of September 1971, Commander of Sector 3 was assigned to Major [[A. N. M. Nuruzzaman]]. Major Safiullah was among those attending the Pakistan surrender on 16 December 1971 at Race Course in [[Dhaka]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Thousands sing 'My Bengal of Gold' |url=http://www.amadershomoys.com/content/2013/12/17/print0921.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621065742/http://www.amadershomoys.com/content/2013/12/17/print0921.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=21 June 2015 |website=Amader Shomoys |access-date=21 June 2015}}</ref>

==Bangladesh Army==
After the end of the war in December 1971, the Bangladesh government awarded Safiullah the [[Bir Uttam]] the second-highest military award in the country. At forthwith he was appointed the first [[Brigade Commander]] of the newly established [[46th Independent Infantry Brigade]].

On 5 April 1972, General Osmani resigned from his post, and Safiullah was appointed the [[Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)|Chief of Army Staff]] of [[Bangladesh Army]] on 6 April 1972 by the [[Awami League]] government under [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] and was promoted to the rank of Colonel.<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Nagendra Kr. |title=Encyclopaedia of Bangladesh (Set of 30 Vols.) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qvmbJNPnX2YC&pg=PA2 |year=2003 |publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. |page=2 |isbn=978-81-261-1390-3 |access-date=11 November 2010}}</ref> He was then upgraded to rank of Brigadier within mid 1973 and as of 10 October 1973 his rank was ameliorated to Major General.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://images-bn.thedailystar.net/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8-%E0%A6%90%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF/%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8/%E0%A6%96%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%AE-300661|title=খেতাবপ্রাপ্ত বীর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা: কাজী মুহাম্মদ শফিউল্লাহ, বীর উত্তম|first=আহমাদ|last=ইশতিয়াক|date=3 January 2022|website=The Daily Star Bangla}}</ref>

Safiullah was the chief of staff of the Bangladesh Army during the [[Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|assassination]] of then president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<ref>{{cite news |date=24 August 2014 |title=It's my failure I couldn't save Bangabandhu |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/its-my-failure-i-couldnt-save-bangabandhu-38409 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref> During the assassination, he was kept in the dark about the plot, intelligence failed and he could not save the President.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trial of 195 war criminals should be held |url=http://www.weeklyholiday.net/homepage/pages/UserHome.aspx?ID=4&date=12%2F18%2F2015 |access-date=3 December 2016 |issue=1 |type=Opinion |newspaper=Holiday |date=18 December 2015 |archive-date=7 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207102906/http://www.weeklyholiday.net/homepage/pages/UserHome.aspx?ID=4&date=12%2F18%2F2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Dismissed from the position on 25 August 1975 by the following Mushtaq government, he retired from the army. He was succeeded by [[Ziaur Rahman]] as army Chief.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ahsan |first1=Syed Badrul |title=Remembering Khaled Musharraf. . . |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/remembering-khaled-musharraf |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=20 June 2015}}</ref> Suspecting his intentions based on his loyalty towards Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, General Safiullah was sent overseas with an ambassadorial post, along with fellow [[Bangladesh Air Force]] Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandker. He was elected as an Awami League member of parliament in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ahsan |first1=Syed Badrul |title=Of memory . . . against forgetting |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=153043 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620231553/http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=153043 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.gov.bd/index.php/en/mps/members-of-parliament/former-mp-s/list-of-7th-parliament-members-bangla|title=7th parliament members|website=Bangladesh Parliament}}</ref>

==After retirement from army and into diplomatic circles==
{{No reference|section|date=June 2025}}
Safiullah was appointed the first Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Malaysia. Malaysia had recognised the Independence of Bangladesh very soon after the liberation war. He thereafter went onto serve as the High Commissioner to Canada and South America. He was transferred to Sweden as the Ambassador to the Scandinavian region and finally to London as the High Commissioner. K M Safiullah demonstrated a natural charisma and diplomacy in dealing with international and diplomatic affairs and in transitioning good relations between Bangladesh and the countries in which he served. During the time of serving his posting in London he was the most senior ambassador in the Commonwealth, having spent 20 years promoting the values and mission of the newly formed Bangladesh nation.

==Life in politics==
{{No reference|section|date=June 2025}}
In 1990, Safiullah returned to Bangladesh in retirement from diplomatic service and was reintroduced into the social fabric of national service, by being elected as an MP through the Awami League political party, the party of Sheikh Mujib. He served as an MP for the constituency of Rupganj, the area from which he originated. During his tenure as MP he was responsible for creating many roads and facilitating the formation of development and job creation in the constituency. Following two terms as an MP he retired from government.

==Returning to a life as a civilian and freedom fighter==
Being the most senior army officer in Bangladesh, Safiullah was invited to chair the sector commanders forum in 2014. Through this association he has led marches and protests well into his late 70s to bring to account war criminals responsible for the atrocities of 1971. He has also led movements against corruption and poverty as an idealist of the revolution.<ref>{{cite news |title=Shafiullah new chairman of Sector Commanders Forum |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/09/19/shafiullah-new-chairman-of-sector-commanders-forum |newspaper=bdnews24.com |access-date=13 June 2015}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Safiullah was married to Saida Akhter. They had three daughters and a son.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://1971.prothomalo.com/freedom-fighters-info/gallantry-awardees/%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%80-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%AE | title=কাজী মুহাম্মদ সফিউল্লাহ, বীর উত্তম | work=চিরন্তন ১৯৭১ &#124; প্রথম আলো }}</ref> He died at [[Combined Military Hospital (Dhaka)|CMH]] on 26 January 2025, at the age of 90.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-army chief KM Shafiullah passes away |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/ex-army-chief-km-shafiullah-passes-away-1052436 |work=[[The Business Standard]] |date=26 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=কে এম সফিউল্লাহ আর নেই |url=https://mzamin.com/news.php?news=145805#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=[[Manab Zamin]]|date=2025-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-army chief Safiullah passes away |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/ex-army-chief-safiullah-passes-away-3808631 |work=The Daily Star |date=26 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=সাবেক সেনাপ্রধান কে এম সফিউল্লাহ আর নেই |url=https://www.bd-pratidin.com/national/2025/01/26/1077799 |work=[[Bangladesh Pratidin]] |date=26 January 2025 |language=bn}}</ref>

==Books==
* Bangladesh At War
* 15 August a National Tragedy

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Bir Uttom ribbon.svg|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Republic Medal 1956 (Pakistan).png|width=130}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|'''[[Bir Uttom]]'''
''(Great Valiant Hero)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War]]'''
''(War Star 1965)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War]]'''
''(War Medal 1965)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Tamgha-e-Jamhuria]]'''
(''Republic Commemoration Medal)''

'''1956'''
|}


==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Military of Bangladesh}}
{{Bir Uttom|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shafiullah, K. M.}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Army Staff, Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Army generals]]
[[Category:Mukti Bahini personnel]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Bir Uttom]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League central committee members]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi military personnel]]