Iskander Al-Karim | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | Bacchu |
| Died | 4 February, 2018 Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Rank |  Major General  |
| Unit | Armoured Corps |
| Commands | GOC of 6th Armoured Division |
| Battles / wars | |
| Alma mater | Indian Military Academy |
M. Iskander Al-Karim, 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]
Karim graduated from the Indian Military Academy and he eventually reached the rank of Major General in the Pakistan Army. [2]
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 the close surveillance, with Major General Bashir Ahmad openly telling his staff officers that he was to keep an eye on Bacchu Karim. [4]
After the defeat of Pakistani forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War, his juniors officers revolted against Yahya Khan. They made him send a following 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]
After Bangladesh became independent, he was repatrated 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]
In 2018, he passed away at the age of 94. [2]