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Nurul Huq (naval officer)

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Nurul Huq (12 January 1936 – 25 January 2021)[1] was the first chief of staff of the Bangladesh Navy. He was a Lieutenant Commander in the Pakistan Navy and post independence was promoted to Captain on being given the responsibility of the Bangladesh Navy. He was also chairman of BIWTA and subsequently shipping minister.[2] He was the naval chief from 7 April 1972 to 6 November 1973.[3]

Captain
Nurul Huq
1st Chief of Naval Staff
In office
7 April 1972 – 6 November 1973
PresidentAbu Sayeed Chowdhury
Prime MinisterSheikh Mujibur Rahman
Succeeded byMusharraf Hussain khan
Minister of Ports Shipping and IWT
In office
4 July 1978 – 27 November 1981
Preceded byHimself (as Advisor)
Succeeded byMajid-ul-Haq
In office
9 December 1977 – 29 June 1978
Preceded byM. H. Khan
Succeeded byHimself (as Minister)
Member of Parliament
In office
18 February 1979 – 24 March 1982
Personal details
Born(1936-01-12)January 12, 1936
Dacca, Bengal, British India
DiedJanuary 25, 2021(2021-01-25) (aged 85)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
SpouseHasna Huq (m. 1964)
RelativesAKM Hafizuddin (Maternal Uncle)
Military service
Branch/service Pakistan Navy
 Bangladesh Navy
Years of service1957–1975
Rank Captain
Commands
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani war of 1965

Early Life and Family Background

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Captain Huq was born on 12th January 1936 in Dohar Upazilla Dhaka district. His mother died when he was in just 4th standard. His father Khan Bahadur Abdul Khaleq was a officer in Education Department. After being retired from government services his father was elected a member of Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1946. He was the youngest of six brothers. His immediate elder father Professor Dr Huq was a teacher in National University of Singapore. His another elder brother Brigadier Feroze Salahuddin was in Army who later served as the Military Secretary to the President of Bangladesh and also served as the Bangladesh Ambassador to Singapore. He completed his matriculation from Armanitola Government High School in 1950. He passed intermediate from Dhaka College in 1952.[4]

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In 1953 he joined the Joint Services Pre-Cadet Training School,Quetta as a cadet of 9th course of Joint Services Pre-Cadet Training School. After passing out from there he joined the Pakistan Navy Cadet Training School in October 1953. After completing six months training there he was sent to Britannia Royal Naval College,Dartmouth. He was trained in The Royal Naval Engineering College. On 1st January 1957 he was commissioned in the Pakistan Navy. In 1958 he completed his basic engineering course The Royal Naval Engineering College of United Kingdom. He returned to Pakistan in June 1958. He was posted to PNS JAHANGIR. Later he was posted to PNS BADR. In March 1960 he went back to The Royal Naval Engineering College to complete his marine engineering specialization course. He returned to Pakistan in April 1961. Following his return to Pakistan he was appointed as Instructor in PNS Karsaz. He was transferred to PNS SHAHJAHAN as it's Engineer Officer (Chief Engineer). In January 1966 he was posted to Chittagong as the Base Engineer Officer and Staff Officer (Engineering) to Naval Officer-in-charge,Chittagong. Later in early 1968 he was sent to PNS BABUR. Later he was transferred to the Training Directorate as the Staff Officer-I at Naval Headquarters. He served there until 1972.[5] After the independence of Bangladesh like all other officers Lt.Commander Nurul Huq was also shifted to POWs Camp but he escaped from there and reached Bangladesh on 27th March 1972.[6]

First Chief of Naval Staff

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After his arrival in Bangladesh then Commander in Chief of Bangladesh Forces General M.A.G. Osmani ordered him to take over the naval command and he was promoted to the rank of Commander. Later on 7th April when all the forces where divided he was given the command of Navy and was appointed as the Chief of Naval Staff with the rank of a Commander. After his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff he Started to set up the Navy. He established the Naval Headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment and also shifted the Sailors and C.P.O.'s from Eskaton Transit Camp (now the Navy House) to barracks inside the Cantonment. He was the only Officer in Navy during taking over the command. To establish a chain of command in Navy he approved a temporary organogram from the Ministry of Defense and recalled Lieutenant A.M.L.K. Siddiqui and the Volunteer Reserved Officers Lieutenant Islam and Lieutenant Siddiq with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Lieutenant Abdur Rouf was also recalled and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was made the Commanding Officer of Khulna Base. He also promoted C.P.O.'s and P.O.'s to Sub Lieutenant to fill-up the vacant posts. In April 1972 he was invited to visit India by Admiral Nanda then Chief of Indian Navy. In August 1972 he went to Delhi on a 10 day visit. During his visit he visited Delhi,Agra,Hyderabad,Bangalore,Kochin,Vishakapatnam and Kolkata he also took essential things for setting up the Navy. During his visit to India he met Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda Chief of Indian Navy. He also met Vice Admiral Vasudeva Anant Kamath and Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan. He commissioned first two river gun boats of Bangladesh Navy during his tenure as Chief of Naval Staff. He was directed to take over as Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in addition to his own duties in Navy. During his tenure as C.N.S. a Indian Navy Patrol Boat was given on loan to Bangladesh Navy and Captain Huq named it PADMA. After the arrival of then Captain M.H. Khan from Pakistan he handed over the charge on 6th November 1973 and was fully became the Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) He officially retired from the Navy on 31st December 1975. [7]

Later Career

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After his departure from Navy he fully became the Chairman of BIWTA on deputation which he was doing as an additional duty since September 1972. On 31st December 1975 he was sent to retirement from Navy by the President of Bangladesh and his job was placed under the Ministry of Shipping IWT and Aviation and was told to continue as Chairman of BIWTA on Contract Service. In May 1977 he was transferred to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation as it's Chairman. In September 1977 he resigned from his contract services and joined a private company named High Speed Company as it's Executive Chairman. [8]

Political Career

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After he terminated his contract Ziaur Rahman then President of Bangladesh and Chief Martial Law Administrator offered him a post of a Advisor in the President's Council of Advisors with the rank of a cabinet minister. He was given the Charge of the Ministry of Ports Shipping and IWT. He officially took the charge on 7th November 1977. After the 1978 Bangladeshi presidential election the President's Council of Advisors was dissolved and the Cabinet was formed and Captain Huq sworn in as the Minister the Ministry of Ports Shipping and IWT. He was the member of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In 1979 Bangladeshi general election he contested on the nomination of Bangladesh Nationalist Party from Dohar. He won that election. After the Assassination of Ziaur Rahman Abdus Sattar elected as the new president but he was not included in the cabinet of Abdus Sattar. So his tenure as a minister ended on 27th November 1981 but he continued as a Member Of Parliament till 24th March 1982.[9]

Following the 1982 Bangladeshi coup d'état a corruption cases were filed against him along with four former ministers. Following these he moved to London. He stayed there for almost 3 years in political asylum. He worked there as the Volunteer Coordinator and the Racial Master Advisor to the Warden at Toynbee Hall. He came back to Bangladesh on 11th September 1984 after being a fugitive for about 3 years. Following his return he live a retired life.

Personal Life

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He was married to Hasna on 10th January 1964 in Chittagong. The couple had a son and a daughter.

Books

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He wrote a book named High Tide - High Time : Reminiscences of a Naval Commander

Death

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He died on 25 January 2021 at the age of 85 at Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Bangladesh's first chief of naval staff Navy Nurul Huq dies". Prothom Alo. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. ^ News Review on South Asia and Indian Ocean. Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses. 1 July 1982.
  3. ^ "Former Chief". Bangladesh Navy. Archived from the original on 18 July 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  4. ^ https://samakal.com/editorial/article/94088/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%95
  5. ^ https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8C%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8
  6. ^ https://samakal.com/editorial/article/94088/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%95
  7. ^ https://samakal.com/editorial/article/94088/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%83%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%95
  8. ^ https://mos.gov.bd/site/page/71657d62-6c33-44bc-99bf-a92ebb85664d/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97-
  9. ^ https://mos.gov.bd/site/page/71657d62-6c33-44bc-99bf-a92ebb85664d/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97-
  10. ^ https://www.banglatribune.com/others/mourning-and-remember/663924/%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A5%E0%A6%AE-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8C-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87
Military offices
New title Chief of Naval Staff
January 1972 - 6 November 1973 		Succeeded by


  

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