Freedom fighter Maj Gen (Retd) KM Shafiullah passes away 

KM ShafiullahFile photo

Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah, the first army chief of independent Bangladesh and commander of the sector-3 in 1971 Liberation War, has passed away. 

He died on Sunday morning at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka, said Lt Col Sami Ud Daula Chowdhury, director of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate. 

The ISPR director said KM Shafiullah was admitted to the CMH on 2 January and passed away at 8:45 this morning.

Born on 2 September in 1934, in Rupganj of Narayanganj, KM Shafiullah served as the army chief until 24 August 1975.

After retiring from the army, he represented Bangladesh as an ambassador to multiple countries, including Malaysia, Canada, Sweden, and England, from 1976 to 1991.

He joined the Awami League in 1995 and was elected a member of parliament in 1996.