The Bir Sreshtho, is the highest military award of Bangladesh. It was awarded to seven freedom fighters who showed utmost bravery and died in action for their nation.

1. BIR SRESHTHOS OF LIBERATION WAR OF
BANGLADESH

2. BIR SRESHTHOS
The Bir Sreshtho (The Most Valiant Hero), is the
highest military award of Bangladesh.
In 1973 Bangladesh announced 7 freedom fighter
as "Bir Sreshtho" for their supreme sacrifice in
the liberation war in 1971.
The “Bir Sreshtho” is similar to “The American
Medal of Honor” or “The British Victoria Cross”
award.

3. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
BIR SHRESHTO
Mohiuddin Jahangir
Hamidur Rahman
Mohammad Mostofa Kamal
Matiur Rahman
Mohammad Ruhul Amin
Munshi Abdur Rouf
Nur Mohammad Sheikh

4. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
MOHIUDDIN JAHANGIR
Birthday: March 6, 1945
Birth district: Barisal
Rank: Captain
ID Number: BSS-10439
Squad: Bangladesh Army.
Martyr Day: December 9, 1971

5.  He was given the responsibility to fight at the Chapai
Nawabganj border at Rajshahi district.
 In December Mohiuddin Jahangir was made the captain of a team in
order to take control of Chapai Nawabganj from the Pakistanis.
 Mohiuddin Jahangir failed to establish any advantage over the enemy.
He intended to destroy one of the light machine gun bunker of the
Pakistan Army and crawled towards it. He managed to get close to the
bunker and threw a grenade, but was shot dead(Bullet hit his
forehead) from another bunker.
Mohiuddin Jahangir

6. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
HAMIDUR RAHMAN
Birthday: February 2, 1953
Birth district: Jhenaidah
Rank: Sepoy
ID Number: 3943014
Squad: Bangladesh Army
Martyr Day: October 8, 1971

7.  During the war he made a significant contribution in capturing the Dhalai Border
Outpost at Srimangal.
 On 28 October 1971, a battle was taking place between 1st East Bengal Regiment
and 30 A Frontier Force Regiment in Dhalai of Sylhet. 125 members of the East
Bengal Regiment decided to use grenades on the machine gun posts of the
Pakistani army.
 Rahman took the responsibility of throwing grenades, and crawled through the
hilly canals. Rahman jumped into the enemy machine gun post and engaged in
hand-to-hand fighting with the two crews who were guarding the gun, and at one
point neutralised the gun.
Hamidur Rahman

8. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
MOHAMMAD MOSTOFA KAMAL
Birthday: December 16, 1947
Birth district: Barishal
Rank: Sepoy
ID Number: 3937798
Squad: Bangladesh Army
Martyr Day: April 18, 1971

9.  Muhammad Mostafa was a Sepoy of the 4th East Bengal Regiment. At the start of March,
4th Regiment was moved from Comilla Cantonment to Brahmanbaria.
 On 16 April, Pakistan Army started to approach towards the Regiment camp. They were
coming over the railway of the Comilla-Aakhaura root. Regiment also reconciled their position
at Daruin. They settled on their trenches near a pond. Mostafa Kamal took the rightmost
position.
 At around 12 pm the Pakistanis attacked from West. . Another part of the Pakistan Army
attacked Mukti Bahini from behind. As a result, Regiment had decided to retreat from Daruin.
Mostafa Kamal took the responsibly to cover for his fellow fighters. Most of the fighters
retreated to a safer position as Kamal relentlessly kept firing with his light machine gun. He
managed to neutralise(kill) 8 Pakistani soldiers. But at one stage, he ran out of bullets and
was surrounded. He was bayoneted to death.
Mohammad Mostofa Kamal

10. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
MATIUR RAHMAN
Birthday: October 29, 1941
Birth district: Dhaka
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
ID Number: 4367 (Pakistan)
Squad: Bangladesh Air Force
Martyr Day: August 20, 1971

11.  Matiur Rahman was an instructor pilot at PAF Base Masroor in 1971. He was planning to
defect to India with a plane to join the Bangladesh Liberation War.
 On 20 August 1971, Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas was scheduled to fly with a Lockheed T-
33 training plane. Rahman saw Minhas about to take off and asked to join him. He
attempted to hijack the T-33 in midair from Karachi, Pakistan to India to join the
liberation movement. He knocked out Rashid to that purpose.
 After taking the control of the plane, Rahman was flying it below the usual altitude to
deceive the radar. In another version, Minhas struggled physically to wrest control from
Rahman. Some 32 miles (51 km) from the Indian border, the jet crashed near Thatta.
Both men were killed. Rahman's body was found near the crash site.
Matiur Rahman

12. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
MOHAMMAD RUHUL AMIN
Birthday: 1935
Birth district: Noakhali
Rank: Engine Room Artificer, Class-1
ID Number: 62066
Squad: Bangladesh Navy
Martyr Day: December 10, 1971

13.  At the start of Bangladesh Liberation War with Operation Searchlight, Amin immediately resigned from
Pakistan Navy .
 At May, he along with 500 others joined at Sector-3 under Major K M Shafiullah. Later he enrolled
at Palash, a warship of Bangladesh Navy and at the same time worked as the Squadron leader for
both Padma and Palash.
 On 10 December, Two of the warships of the Mukti Bahini named "Padma" and "Palash" mistakenly
came under fire from the Indian Air Force.
 Incidentally one of those bombs had fallen at the warship "Palash". Ruhul Amin was working as an
artificer of that ship. Both ships caught fire . After the heavy bombing, the engine room Caught fire and
Ruhul Amin tried to extinguish it, ignoring orders to abandon ship.
 A report suggest he swam ashore and was killed by Razakars.
Mohammad Ruhul Amin

14. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
MUNSHI ABDUR ROUF
Birthday: May 1, 1943
Birth district: Faridpur
Rank: Lance Nayek
ID Number: Unavailable
Squad: Bangladesh Rifles
Martyr Day: April 18, 1971

15.  The East Bengal Regiment wanted to restrict the Pakistani Army from using the
Rangamati - Mahalchari waterway. Thus, they camped at both of the Chengi Lakes at
Burighat. Rouf was serving as a soldier in this company.
 On 8 April 1971, the Pakistani Army attacked the Mukti Bahinis defensive position with
7 speed boats and 2 launches.
 Their mission was to drive the Mukti Bahini away from the waterway of Rangamati
and Mohalchari. Pakistani forces managed to disorient Mukti Bahini by coming closer
to them and firing heavily.
 Rouf crawled forward to his trench and continuously fired towards the enemies with
his automatic machine gun. As a result, the Pakistanis dragged their launches back to a
safer place and resumed firing from there. Suddenly a mortar hit Rouf directly and he
was immediately killed.
Munshi Abdur Rouf

16. “
”
BIR SHRESHTO – THE SEVEN MOST VALIANT HEROES
NUR MOHAMMAD SHEIKH
Birthday: February 26, 1936
Birth district: Jessore
Rank: Lance Nayek
ID Number: 9459
Squad: Bangladesh Rifles
Martyr Day: September 5, 1971

17.  Lance Nayek Nur Mohammad was selected as the captain of the Standing Patrol team at Goalhati in
Jessore's Chutipur Camp that was established to monitor the Pakistan army.
 On 5 September, Nur Mohammad was patrolling with 4 fellow soldiers. The Pakistan army managed to
point out the position of Nur Mohammad's team and attacked them from three different sides.
 Meanwhile, one of his fellow soldiers, Nannu Mia, was shot by a bullet and Nur Mohammad started
carrying him towards safety and started to shoot guns from different places as a trick to confuse the
Pakistanis.
 But Nur Mohammad himself was hit by a mortar and his foot was destroyed. Even though he was
seriously injured, Nur Mohammad decided to continue to provide covering fire for his team to escape.
 He kept a self loaded rifle with him and kept on fighting until he died.
Nur Mohammad Sheikh

18. THE END