Abdul Hakeem
Politcal Worker (100+ posts)
THE TRUTH ABOUT IKRAM SEHGAL
I beseech all group members to read.
Ikram Sehgal is an ex-army officer.His father was also a retired Colonel who had commanded 2 East Bengal Regiment that was raised prior to 1950.The mother of Ikram Sehgal was from Bogra where as his father was from Punjab.While I was watching a talk show, Ikram sehgal had claimed that he was the first Pakistani POW to have escaped from the Indian Camp.He is now running a well-entrenched security company SMS (probably joined now by Wackenhut), acquired a reputation of a Defence Analyst and is rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty in our land of the pure.The fact of the matter is that he was not a POW but had defected to India.This is what Lt Gen (R) Kamal Matinuddin has written on pages 251-252 in Chapter 5- Military Action of his book Tragedy of Errors while covering East Bengal Regiments Rebel.
"2 East Bengal Regiment
2 East Bengal Regiment at the old palace at Joydebpur had been split into companies and platoon.A company was at Tangail, another at Mymensingh, one platoon of the third company was at Rajenderpur, and one platoon at Ghazipur.Its task was to enforce law and order.
The battalion was commanded by Lt Col Masaudul Hussain Khan an officer hailing from East Pakistan.The second-in-command was Major K.M.Safiullah, also a Bengali officer.Safiullah, recalls with pride that after March 1, (when the national assembly session had been postponed) he no longer felt obliged to remain loyal to the West Pakistan officers.He decided to support the Awami League and awaited orders from Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman.He goes on to narrate that after that date 2 East Bengal began to secretly join the movement od non-cooperation.When the city hoisted black flags on Pakistan's national day Safiullah recalls that in his heart of hearts he was not opposed to the fluttering of black flags on a day when he used to proudly display the crescent and star on his housetop.
On March 27, Major Safiullah told his commanding officer "We intend to go over to Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman you may go away if you wish or you are most welcome to join us.We can even tie you and leave you in one room to give the impression that you were not part of the mutiny. Lt Col Raquib, who had taken over from Lt Col Masaudul hasan, left the unit quietly as disloyalty was not what he had trained for. He was heard of no more.
Safiullah concentrated 2 East Bengal in Mymensingh and took an oath of allegiance to Sheikh Mujib from his troops. He broadcast a message on his regimental frequency to all those who may have been listening. "I, major Safiullah of the East bengal Regiment, have taken up arms against the Pakistan Army. If you are a Bengali, wherever you sre, take up arms with whatever you have against the Pakistanis and begin an armed resistance to liberate your country from the colonial fetters of Pakistan'.He sent Captain Aziz-ur Rehman to haluaghat to establish contact with the Indian Border Security Force Aziz met the commandant of the BSF while Safiullah met Capt Biljeet and Lt Col sinha of the Indian intelligence. The response, says safiullah, to his request was favourable. 2 East bengal was joined by three retired officers. Major Qazi Noor-uz-zaman (2nd IMA course), Captain Mati-ur-Rehman and Captain Abdul Mateen.Safiullah claims that he was able to organise of 3,000 with eight officers including Captain Sehgal who had defected from the army aviation squadron.
2 East Bengal began to ambush the Pakistani army around Mymensingh and in the vicinity of the Mahdopur forests which remained sanctuary for some time.They blew up bridges the most important being the Ranipur railway bridge across the river Ganges. The unit later moved across to India through Rajshahi, virtually intact.2 East Bengal had 4 West Pakistani officers and a few West Pakistani soldiers. All of them were killed by Safiullah's men".
Ikram Sehgal is an ex-army officer.His father was also a retired Colonel who had commanded 2 East Bengal Regiment that was raised prior to 1950.The mother of Ikram Sehgal was from Bogra where as his father was from Punjab.While I was watching a talk show, Ikram sehgal had claimed that he was the first Pakistani POW to have escaped from the Indian Camp.He is now running a well-entrenched security company SMS (probably joined now by Wackenhut), acquired a reputation of a Defence Analyst and is rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty in our land of the pure.The fact of the matter is that he was not a POW but had defected to India.This is what Lt Gen (R) Kamal Matinuddin has written on pages 251-252 in Chapter 5- Military Action of his book Tragedy of Errors while covering East Bengal Regiments Rebel.
"2 East Bengal Regiment
2 East Bengal Regiment at the old palace at Joydebpur had been split into companies and platoon.A company was at Tangail, another at Mymensingh, one platoon of the third company was at Rajenderpur, and one platoon at Ghazipur.Its task was to enforce law and order.
The battalion was commanded by Lt Col Masaudul Hussain Khan an officer hailing from East Pakistan.The second-in-command was Major K.M.Safiullah, also a Bengali officer.Safiullah, recalls with pride that after March 1, (when the national assembly session had been postponed) he no longer felt obliged to remain loyal to the West Pakistan officers.He decided to support the Awami League and awaited orders from Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman.He goes on to narrate that after that date 2 East Bengal began to secretly join the movement od non-cooperation.When the city hoisted black flags on Pakistan's national day Safiullah recalls that in his heart of hearts he was not opposed to the fluttering of black flags on a day when he used to proudly display the crescent and star on his housetop.
On March 27, Major Safiullah told his commanding officer "We intend to go over to Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman you may go away if you wish or you are most welcome to join us.We can even tie you and leave you in one room to give the impression that you were not part of the mutiny. Lt Col Raquib, who had taken over from Lt Col Masaudul hasan, left the unit quietly as disloyalty was not what he had trained for. He was heard of no more.
Safiullah concentrated 2 East Bengal in Mymensingh and took an oath of allegiance to Sheikh Mujib from his troops. He broadcast a message on his regimental frequency to all those who may have been listening. "I, major Safiullah of the East bengal Regiment, have taken up arms against the Pakistan Army. If you are a Bengali, wherever you sre, take up arms with whatever you have against the Pakistanis and begin an armed resistance to liberate your country from the colonial fetters of Pakistan'.He sent Captain Aziz-ur Rehman to haluaghat to establish contact with the Indian Border Security Force Aziz met the commandant of the BSF while Safiullah met Capt Biljeet and Lt Col sinha of the Indian intelligence. The response, says safiullah, to his request was favourable. 2 East bengal was joined by three retired officers. Major Qazi Noor-uz-zaman (2nd IMA course), Captain Mati-ur-Rehman and Captain Abdul Mateen.Safiullah claims that he was able to organise of 3,000 with eight officers including Captain Sehgal who had defected from the army aviation squadron.
2 East Bengal began to ambush the Pakistani army around Mymensingh and in the vicinity of the Mahdopur forests which remained sanctuary for some time.They blew up bridges the most important being the Ranipur railway bridge across the river Ganges. The unit later moved across to India through Rajshahi, virtually intact.2 East Bengal had 4 West Pakistani officers and a few West Pakistani soldiers. All of them were killed by Safiullah's men".
It is quite evident from what General Kamal Matinuddin has written above that Ikram Sehgal's loyalty to Pakistan is very doubtful. He could not be a POW having defected.His alibi that he managed to escape from Indian captivity well before the surrender does not hold water.How he has managed to rehabilitate himself in Pakistan Army needs to be looked into.Major safiullah later on became the COAS of Bangladesh Army and retired as a Major General
