Abu Esrar

Mirza Mohammad Abu Esrar, BBP, ndc, Acsc was the 14th chief of the air staff of the Bangladesh Air Force. He is the first four star air officer of the air force.

Early life Esrar was born on 23 December 1961 in Gazipur to Abu Ayub and Akhtarunnesa.

Military career

Esrar joined the Bangladesh Air Force on 19 September 1978 and was commissioned in the GD(P) branch on 1 February 1981. He is an alumnus of National Defence College and Air Command and Staff College of Maxwell Air Force Base in United States. Esrar has undergone flying instructors course in the United Kingdom and flying supervisors course in Australia. He has obtained training under Mikoyan Project 1.44 and MiG-29 in China and Russia respectively.

Esrar has flown Fugi-200, Chengdu J-7, MiG-29 and worked as instructor at Bangladesh Air Force Academy. He has also worked as defence attache in Moscow, Russia. As air commodore, Esrar has commanded three airbases and was director of air training. He was promoted to air vice marshal on 2012 and posted as assistant chief of air staff (operation and training) which he served until 2015. He replaced Air Marshal Enamul Bari as chief of air staff. On 16 January 2016 he was promoted to air chief marshal under the third Hasina ministry. Esrar was also awarded the Biman Bahini Padak medal in 2013.