Jibon Kanai Das is a retired major general of the Bangladesh Army and a veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War. [1]
In 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, Das was commissioned into the Bangladesh Army under the Bangladesh War Courses. [2]
On 15 August 1975, then-Captain Das, serving as Officer Commanding of the Bulk Inspection Unit in Dhaka Cantonment, became one of the early military officers to witness the aftermath of the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family at their residence on Road 32, Dhanmondi. [3] According to his later account, Das and fellow officer Captain Muqtadir Ali learned of the coup through a radio broadcast. [3] Subsequently, they accompanied a senior officer on official duty through the city during the imposition of martial law. [3] While returning via Mirpur Road, they encountered Major Bazlul Huda, one of the coup leaders, who invited them to enter the residence. [3] Das described observing multiple bodies inside the premises, including those of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his family members, and staff, all of whom had been killed. [3] He and his colleague covered the bodies with bedsheets found on-site, stating that their actions were guided by military tradition and respect for the deceased. [3] His testimony, later published, has been cited as a firsthand account of the site's condition in the immediate aftermath of the events of 15 August 1975. [3]
Das was the commandant of the National Defence College. [4] On 3 May 2002, Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, issued a white paper which accused a number of ministers of the previous Awami League government, civil servants, and army officers of corruption, including Das. [5] [6]
From 29 January 2008 to 27 April 2008, Das was the Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies. [7] He was a member of the Gulshan Sarbajanin Puja Udjapan Parishad, [8] and president of President of Jashomadhav Temple Management Committee. [9] He served as the president of the Bangladesh War Courses Foundation. [2] He is an adviser of the Bangladesh Senior Citizen Welfare Society and the chief executive officer of the Forum for the Rights of the Elderly Bangladesh. [10] He is the president of the Baridhara DOHS Puja Committee. [11]