Bangladeshi Ace Pilots

[Kompromat]

You may be correct, but BD has not yet fought any war. How it is possible to make a killing without a war. By the way, PAF, as an institution, is in a position to produce very good pilots, but the BAF pilots are also trained meticulously. Pilots are great assets in the BAF, and for each plane BAF trains four pilots. So, we have a good pool of pilots.

I must not doubt any Bangali brother Pilots's skills and His courage!

I have learnt that BAF has over 500 combat pilots and 220+ aircrafts , you also have Mig 29's .. I think it would be a good idea that if you send us few MIG-29's that we can Practice how to shoot them down . Coz indians have Parked their's 95 kms away from our Border , what do you think
Regards"

 

[insight-out]

post deleted

 

[insight-out]

I think my colleagues here (both Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) should be careful when making comments about Bangladesh and its history. There were mistakes on both sides. There is just no benefit in reopening old wounds. As the saying goes, "let sleeping dogs lie". Bangladesh and Pakistan are two independent countries now who face difficult challenges from within and without. We need to work on building a prosperous and stable future for our respective people. And if we can help each other do that, all the better.

All nations need heroes to identify with, to give them direction, to inspire them. At a higher level, both Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims are fortunate to have a rich Islamic heritage with towering personalities such as Khalid ibn al-Waleed, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Salahuddin, etc. But it is also useful to have heroes at a more local level. Hence this thread. Lets appreciate these great men and hope that we will be able to emulate their courage and integrity.

 

[Al-zakir]

I think my colleagues here (both Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) should be careful when making comments about Bangladesh and its history. There were mistakes on both sides. There is just no benefits in reopening old wounds. As the saying goes, "let sleeping dogs lie". Bangladesh and Pakistan are two independent countries now who face difficult challenges from within and without. We need to work on building a prosperous and stable future for our respective people. And if we can help each other do that, all the better.

All nations need heroes to identify with, to give them direction, something to aspire to. At a higher level, both Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims are fortunate to have a rich Islamic heritage with towering personalities such as Khalid ibn al-Waleed, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Salahuddin, etc. But it is also useful to have heroes at a more local level. Hence this thread. Lets appreciate these great men and hope that we will be able to emulate their courage and integrity.

Well said. Please let us leave to this........

 

[gromell]

Can my Bangladeshi friends tell me how many Kills thier whole Airforce have? after 1971 even having that Pilot from the PAF?? According to my knowledge BAF has 0 kills since 1971 correct me if i am wrong

What an idiotic statement! Bangladesh had no war against any one after 1971. How would its air force score a kill?! How many kills did Pakistan air force make flying F-16 after 1971? Well apart from downing some soviet scraps(old Migs) flown by afghans, I think the number is 0. PAF had 0 air to air kill during Kargill war.

 

[M_Saint]

I think the number is 0. PAF had 0 air to air kill during Kargill war.

In your highness, Kargil drama was between Indian Indian Army and a follish genaral that played in its hand, i.e. almost worked as a stooge throughout his tenure unlike a war between Indian and PAK-mil that you or your Indian buddies wanted us to believe. Just because it was between India and a general, India was well prepared up to state level (I know many Indians would ask for my head because of this statement) but GOP or PAK-MIL weren't. So, PAF didn't even take part in it, thus no taking down of Indian fighters, understand now?

 

[tafhim]

In your highness, Kargil drama was between Indian Indian Army and a follish genaral that played in its hand, i.e. almost worked as a stooge throughout his tenure unlike a war between Indian and PAK-mil that you or your Indian buddies wanted us to believe. Just because it was between India and a general, India was well prepared up to state level (I know many Indians would ask for my head because of this statement) but GOP or PAK-MIL weren't. So, PAF didn't even take part in it, thus no taking down of Indian fighters, understand now?

so it is agreed that there is no question of kill when there is no war. so the first question regarding kill records of BAF is not based on sound logic..

 

[LaBong]

As far as I know, Mr. M. M. Alam remained with PAF after 1971 and I guess he has settled down somewhere in Pakistan with his family, although he was from Dhaka. There are many such people, military and non-military. There was one General Khwaja Wasiuddin, who kept on working for PA and came back to Dhaka only after his retirement. There are other people who remained in Pakistan.

Mr. Alam surely had a greater carreer opportunity and JOB SATISFACTION in the PAF comparing to what could have been in the half-built BAF immediately after 1971. Bihari or Bangali is irrelevant for such a decision. There are about one million Biharis in BD. The daughter of former Pakistani PM H. S. Suhrawardy remained in Karachi. There are thousand other similar cases.

MM ALam was born in Calcutta who migrated to East Pakistan after partition and later to West Pakistan. Also one of his kill actually booster failure and for the rest no gun camera image has been shown.

 

[Najam Khan]

Also one of his kill actually booster failure and for the rest no gun camera image has been shown.

Well it existed at least the time when Chuck yeager & other military professionals were shown to record the kills account officially. Now since past two decades MM Alam lives in Faisal AB, Karachi and most of his collection is in Chaklala, Rawalpindi. Being a down to earth person, he really never cared about getting into limelight....if its not released officially doesn't mean it it never existed.

 

[rabia tareen]

btw Sindh region did not become independent as BD..

dear Sindh region is our body part, and we make mistake one time it will not happen 2nd time

 

[mil-avia]

Saiful Azam was the guest of honour in the Golden Jubilee of PAF Sargodha in 2003 and I happened to find these pictures on the web He went to Sargodha from Bangladesh with other Bengali ex-Sargodhans.

Source: PBase.com

Full views of the attachments:

 

[Al-zakir]

The then Pakistani & now Bangladeshi Ace Flight Lieutenant Saiful Azam has the unique distinction of having kills against air forces of two different countries. As a young Flying Officer during the 65 War, Saiful Azam scored a kill against an Indian Air Force Gnat, in recognition of which he was awarded Sitara-i-Jurat.

He has been highly decorated with gallantry awards by both Jordan and Iraq for his extraordinary display of skill and courage. He retired as a Group Captain from Bangladesh Air Force. In 2001, he was honoured by the United States Air Force (USAF) and enjoys the status of being one of the twenty two ‘Living Eagles’ of the world.

 

[a. hussain]

You may be correct, but BD has not yet fought any war. How it is possible to make a killing without a war. By the way, PAF, as an institution, is in a position to produce very good pilots, but the BAF pilots are also trained meticulously. Pilots are great assets in the BAF, and for each plane BAF trains four pilots. So, we have a good pool of pilots.

Guys (To both Pakistani's & Bangladeshi's) does it matter that they were or are Pakistani or Bangladeshi. If you guys want to boost-up your ego's then it is another matter. Important fact is that they were best fighter pilots and any airforce be it PAF/ BAF would be proud of it at any stage (Before/ After 1971). We must be rational and control our emotions (I know it is difficult but if you loose control you loose everything, this was a lesson told to me by a very respectable senior which i believe is 100% correct). 1971 is a tragedy for many and for many it is dream come true (For Bangladeshi's). We must accept that both sides had committed gross mistakes. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said ' If you kill a single human being you have killed the whole humanity. If you have saved a single human you have saved the whole humanity' (Allah may forgive me, if I have made any mistakes, Ameen)

Thanks

 

[kobiraaz]

An Unknown Legend

Description:

Group Captain Saiful Azam was born in 1941 in Pabna(Bangladesh) and lived in Calcutta till partition. In 1947, his family moved east to the area that became part of predominatly Muslim East Pakistan(now Bangladesh). In 1955, he went to West Pakistan and attended high school there. In 1958 he entered the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Cadet College. Graduated in 1960, he was commissioned as a pilot officer in the PAF. He remains the only pilot to have flown for three different air forces to war (Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan) with the unique distinction of having kills against air forces of two different countries (India in ’65 and Israel in ’67). In 2001, he was honored by the United States Air Force (USAF) and enjoys the status of being one of the twenty two 'Living Eagles' of the world. To-date he remains the highest shooter of Israeli aircraft in history of dogfight. His name & picture is actually hang in TOP GUN, USAFs which is worlds best airforce training facility.

Training:

He was trained in the Cessna T-37 and then travelled to Luke AFB, Arizona, for an advanced fighter course in the North American F-86 Sabre. He returned to East Pakistan and flew the Sabre jet until 1963.

Tale of Glory:

Flt Lt Saiful Azam was an ace fighter pilot who fought for three different countries during three different wars and emerged as the only fighter pilot in the world who has been awarded a state medal by three different countries – Pakistan (Sitara-i-Jurat, 1965 War), Jordan (Husame Isteqlal, 1967 Arab-Israeli War) and Iraq (Noth-es-Shuja, 1967 Arab-Israeli War).


In September 1965 India-Pak War, Azam was flying F-86 Sabres with 17 Squadron from PAF Base Sargodha. During the war, he was primarily tasked with ground attack missions deep into Indian territories. He flew a total of 12 ground attack missions in the areas of Kasur, Sialkot, and Wagha.On September 19, 1965, after successfully executing a ground attack strike, his four-ship formation led by Sqn Ldr Azim Daudpota was ‘bounced’ by two Indian Air Force Gnats. In the ensuing fight, Azam shot down one of the two attackers,a Folland Gnat, and let the other aircraft go after sensing it had surrendered. His victim was Flight Officer. V. Mayadev, who was captured as a POW. It was an incredible feat as the Gnat had rarely been shot down in aircombats.

In November 1966, he was deputised, along with another PAF pilot, Flt. Lt. Sarwar Shad, to fly Hunters with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, when the 1967 Arab-Israeli War broke out. On June 5, 1967, while flying from al Mafraq, Azam's formation of four Hawker Hunters bounced an Israeli formation of Dassault Super Mystere IVs attacking the major Jordanian airbase of Mafraq. Azam shot down two Israeli Mystere IVs, distinguishing his abilities in the air.

Two days later, on June 7, 1967, after being seconded to the Iraqi Air Force, the Israelis struck H-3, an airfield in western Iraq where he was based. This time, an Israeli formation of four Vatour bombers, escorted by two Mirage IIIs was in the process of attacking the strategic Iraqi airbase H-3. This time flying in an Iraqi Hunter Hawker (No. 702), Azam intercepted the formation. Two of his wingman was shot by a Mirage III, flown by Captain Gideon Dror. Azam was quick to avenge his wingmen's demise and shot down that Mirage. He then pounced upon the camouflaged Vatour bombers, and scored another kill. Both his victims, Captain Dror flying the Mirage, and Captain Golan flying the Vatour were taken as POWs. He was so close to the Vautour when he shot at it, bits from the aircraft were embedded in his Hunter. Many of the Iraqi aircrew at his base, when he returned, believed he had rammed the aircraft!

Act on and after 1971(War of Independence):


Saiful Azam would not fly during the Bangladesh Independence War of 1971, as he was a Bengali. After independence, he joined the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) or Bangladesh Biman Bahini as the Director of Operations. In 1977, he became Wing Commander and Base Commander of the BAF airbase in Dhaka. In 1980s, he, then a Group Captain, retired from his career as an accomplished aviator.

After Retirement:

After retiring as a group captain, in the 1980s, Azam twice served as Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority. He was also Managing Director of the Film Development Corporation. A member of Bangladesh’s Parliament from 1991 to 1996, he is now Managing Director, Natasha Trading Agency, Limited, trading in aircraft and other equipment. He also directs a travel agency and with his wife, Nishat, has three children.

 

[asad71]

M.M.Alam was a Bihari by the way.

He is very much a Bengalee, but the family had belonged to Bihar. FYI, there is a chunk of Bihar where people are Bengalee and speak Bengalee. Our Gen Zia's family had also migrated from there.