Lt. AM Ataul Haque, also known as AW Chowdhury , was the first Chief of the Bangladesh Navy, serving until 1972, and a veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War. [1] A former officer of the Royal Indian Navy, he later joined the Pakistan Navy before defecting in 1971 to participate in the war for Bangladesh’s independence. He played a key role in the post-war formation of the Bangladesh Navy. [2]
Haque joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1945. [3] Following the partition of India in 1947, he continued his service in the Pakistan Navy. [3]
After the start of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Haque renounced his allegiance to the Pakistan Navy and joined Bangladesh’s independence war. [3] His defection was part of a broader wave of Bengali military personnel who sided with the Mukti Bahini. [3] He served in Sector 10, the naval sector, during the war. [4]
Following Bangladesh's victory in December 1971, Haque made significant contributions to the organisation and development of the newly formed Bangladesh Navy. [3] [5] Till April 1972, he was the acting chief of the Bangladesh Navy. [2]
Haque was married to Begum Fazilatunnessa. [6] They had seven sons and three daughters. [6] His eldest son, Enamul Haque Md. Al Mamun, disappeared on 10 August 2006. [6] His another son, Zulfikar Ali Manik, is a journalist. [6]
Haque died on 23 February 1977 from cardiac arrest at the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka. [3]