Today is Rafiqul Islam's (Bir Uttam) birthday!

While studying at the university, Rafiqul Islam became directly involved in the student movement.  He was interested in journalism.  That's why he started working in 'UPP' news agency as a student.  He joined the Pakistan Army in 1963.  After receiving training from the Kakul Military Academy in Pakistan, he was commissioned in the Army Engineering Corps in 1965.  He was later taken to the Artillery Corps.  In 1966 he was transferred from Lahore Cantonment to East Pakistan.  He started serving as an adjutant of the regiment in Jessore Cantonment along with his own regiment.  A few days later, he was transferred on deputation to the post of Assistant Wing Commander of the 8th Wing of EPR in Dinajpur.  From there, in the early 1970s, he was posted as an adjutant at the Chittagong Sector Headquarters of the East Pakistan Rifles.

Rafiqul Islam Bir Uttam's contribution to the war of liberation was very strong. In 1971, Rafiqul Islam was deputed as an adjutant in the East Pakistan Rifles in Chittagong as a Captain of the Pakistan Army.  Observing the deployment of troops from West Pakistan to the then East Pakistan in 1971 and observing the political situation in the country, he decided to revolt in need of independence and made preparations accordingly.  He set up his duties in consultation with the Bengali officers and sepoys under him, and held secret meetings with the Bengali officers serving in the army, inciting them to revolt if necessary.  On the night of March 24, 1971, Captain Rafiqul Islam started a mutiny.  On his orders, the Bengali soldiers at the border outpost disarmed and inactivated the non-Bengali sepoys and came to Chittagong to join the resistance war.  M.  R.  At the request of Chowdhury and Major Ziaur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam canceled their order to come to Chittagong that day.  But the next day, on 25 March 1971, realizing that the conflict was almost inevitable, Captain Rafique started an active revolt and captured the non-Bengali soldiers and officers of the EPR alive and set up his headquarters at Railway Hill.  The soldiers assigned under him M.  V.  Swat obstructs the unloading of arms from the ship.  Later, when Lieutenant Colonel Chowdhury and Major Ziaur Rahman could not make a timely decision, the soldiers of the 20th Baloch Regiment brutally killed thousands of Bengali soldiers and officers and their families at the East Bengal Regimental Center in Chittagong.  The Bengali officers and soldiers of the 8th East Bengal Regiment under Major Ziaur Rahman left the cantonment and took up position towards the Kalurghat Bridge.  But for mysterious reasons, Major Ziaur Rahman prevented the EPR soldiers under Captain Rafique from other border areas of Chittagong from joining Captain Rafique's forces in Chittagong and forced them to take up position in the Kalurghat Bridge area with the 8th East Bengal troops.  Due to this Captain Rafiq failed to maintain proper occupation of Chittagong due to lack of army and at one stage retreated causing heavy losses to the Pakistani army.  Captain Rafiq later fought with his forces in different parts of Chittagong and was forced to set up his headquarters at Harina on the other side of the border in the face of increasing pressure.  Later from here he was assigned as the Commander of Sector No. 1 to conduct the war in Chittagong area.  On 16 December 1971, Captain Rafiqul Islam lowered the Pakistani flag at the Chittagong Circuit House and hoisted the Bangladeshi flag.

After the fall of the military ruler Ershad's government in the country's first caretaker government in 1990, he served as a minister in the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.  He joined the Awami League in 1996.  And was elected Member of Parliament from Chandpur-5, Hajiganj Shahrasti constituency of Chandpur district.  Later, he served as Home Minister in the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.  In the ninth parliamentary elections in 2008, he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament from Hajiganj Shahrashti area and served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.  He was elected unopposed from the same seat in the 2014 general election.  Now in 2016 he was re-elected from the same seat in the general election.

In recognition of his special contribution to the war of liberation, he was awarded the title of Bir Uttam.  On January 23, 2020, the Bangla Academy Award 2019 was announced for his contribution to Bengali literature, of which he was one.