M. I. Karim
Iskander Al-Karim | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Bacchu |
| Born | 23 November 1924 |
| Died | 4 February 2018 (aged 93) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Allegiance |  British India (1945–1947)  Pakistan (Before 1972) Bangladesh |
Branch |  British Indian Army Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army |
Service years | 1945–1974 |
Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Central India Horse Armoured Corps |
| Commands |
|
Conflicts | |
| Awards | Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam Tamgha-e-Pakistan |
| Education | Indian Military Academy |
Mohammad Iskander Al-Karim, SQA, TPk awc, psc, natively known as Bacchu Karim, was a Bengali major general. He most notably was the commander of the Pakistan Army's 6th Armoured Division in Gujranwala.[1]
Military career
Karim graduated from the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned into the Central India Horse on 20 January 1945 in Greece. During his military career, he served in the 19 Lancers. As a major, he served in the Pakistan Military Academy as the company commander of Khalid Company. On 4 September 1965, he was appointed commanding officer of the 15 Lancers. He served till 27 February 1967. Later he served as the commander of the 5th Armoured Brigade. He eventually reached the rank of major general in the Pakistan Army.[2]
Bangladesh Liberation War
Prior to Operation Searchlight, then-brigadier Karim was the officer-in-charge of civil affairs at the HQ, CMLA.[3]
Later on, in 1971, he was promoted to major general and made GOC of the 6th Armoured Division in Gujranwala.[1] During the war, he was kept under close surveillance, with Major General Bashir Ahmad openly telling his staff officers that he was to keep an eye on Bacchu Karim.[4]
Military officer's revolt
After the defeat of Pakistani forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War, his junior officers revolted against Yahya Khan. They made him send a flash message to Chief of General Staff Lt. General Gul Hassan Khan, which stated their demand for the army top brass to be changed.[1] During the revolt, he was confined to a caravan and forcibly relieved of his command.[1][4] Afterwards, Brigadier F.B. Ali took control of the division and successfully got Yahya Khan to resign.[4]
Repatriation and retirement
After Bangladesh became independent, he was repatriated to Bangladesh in 1973.[2] He was forcibly retired upon repatriation because of his continued involvement with the Pakistan Army's higher command, up until the military officer's revolt.[5][6] After retirement, he founded the Vantage Group of Companies.[2][7]
Death
In 2018, he died at the age of 94.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Ṣiddīqī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (2004). East Pakistan, the endgame: an onlooker's journal, 1969-1971. Karachi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579993-4.
- 1 2 3 4 "Maj Gen (retd) MI Karim passes away". The Daily Star. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ↑ "DAWN - Features; March 24, 2002". Dawn. 2002-03-24. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- 1 2 3 Hussain, Hamid (2021-03-10). "Brigadier Farrukh Bakht Ali". Defence Journal. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ↑ Liton, Shakhawat (2015-08-14). "Fatal deaf ear". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
- ↑ Chowdhury, Mainul Hossain (2012). Silent Witness of a General. ISBN 9789842002694.
- ↑ "Vantage". vantage-gp.com. Retrieved 2025-08-22.