From foe to friend: Tale of an unlikely ‘Bihari’ freedom fighter

Mumtaz Khan Pathan was a freedom fighter with a clear conscience and strong conviction, who despite being a West Pakistani, fought for a free Bangladesh at a time when his nation actively participated in the genocide of Bengalis.

Mumtaz, who died in 2021, had to fight through stigmas and suspicions from both fronts to stand strong on his uncompromising conscience. For obvious reasons, his fellow freedom fighters looked at him with disbelief. On the flip side, his family shunned him as a traitor. Yet, with perseverance, tenacity, and above all loyalty, he managed to overcome these obstacles. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a liking to this unlikely freedom fighter and awarded him citizenship of Bangladesh.

A Bihari tobacco businessman:

Although ethnically a Pathan, Mumtaz was a “Bihari” to Bengalis. All emigrating West Pakistanis back then were called as such. Mumtaz Khan Pathan's original home was in Pakistan. He used to move around in parts of India, including Bihar and Assam, in connection with his booming tobacco business.

After the Indo-Pakistani war in 1965, tobacco imports from India stopped. This made him buy tobacco from Madhupur and Bhawal in Tangail. Mumtaz’s business flourished again, leading him to invest in a few more businesses. At one point, Mumtaz’s company was transacting half a crore taka every week.

To the battlefield:

On March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh. On the night of 25th March, the invading forces of Pakistan began hellish killings.

At the early stages of the war, Bangabir Abdul Kader Siddique in Tangail formed a formidable guerrilla group (Kaderia Bahini) with eight to ten fearless youths. Mumtaz rushed to Kader Siddique showing interest in joining the guerrilla force. At first, none of Kaderia Bahini could trust the “Bihari”.

But Mumtaz Khan Pathan was adamant.

Mumtaz began to supply necessary goods including medicines from Dhaka (erstwhile Dacca) to Kaderia Bahini. He played a great role in reorganizing the dispersal forces of Kaderia Bahini during the despairing days of August.

During the peak of the war, Mumtaz’s colonel brother was in command of Pakistan forces controlling old Dhaka areas. Even then, Mumtaz played an important role in the war, proving his absolute loyalty to Bangladesh. He was also fearless in frontal fights, attested by his comrades.

After the war:

After the end of the war, Mumtaz Khan's tobacco business came to an end. All communications were severed with West Pakistan — the primary destination of his exports. All of his money parked in West Pakistani banks was stuck.

According to an article by Bangabir Kader Siddique, Mumtaz Khan also visited Bangabandhu several times as the Father of the Nation showed him a lot of respect. Bangabandhu allotted Mumtaz an abandoned house in Mohammadpur in Dhaka.

He flew to Pakistan in the 80s to claim his ancestral property only to be shunned by his family who called him a traitor. He returned to Bangladesh and spent the rest of his life in the Mohammadpur house. Then onwards, his livelihood was dependent on various government grants.

Mumtaz was accustomed to a simple life and was friendly with everyone. Despite being a Bihari, he was respected for taking part in the Liberation War.

Mumtaz Khan Pathan died on April 11, 2021, leaving three daughters and two sons behind. The youngest son died years ago and the daughters are married.

Mumtaz’s sad legacy:

His only living son — Ejaz Khan — now lives in that Mohammadpur house allocated by the government. The Business Insider Bangladesh managed to talk to Ejaz on March 14.

Just as his father's heroic story thrills him, so does the deprivation that haunts his family. Ejaz said he didn’t receive any grant for his freedom fighter father’s burial. Copies of the application for grants are moving back and forth between various departments.

Ejaz Khan and his family are living hand-to-mouth solely depending on the government allowance he receives as the family of a war-wounded freedom fighter. He didn’t get a government job even though he has been entitled to.