Afsar Ali Khan

Afsar Ali Khan was an airman in the Bangladesh Air Force and communist activist who led the 1977 Bangladesh Air Force mutiny. Following the suppression of the uprising, Afsar was executed, along with over 1,000 other members of the armed forces.

Military career and political activities Afsar, who was stationed in Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War, escaped to Bangladesh in 1972 via Afghanistan and India. In an interview with journalist Anwar Kabir, ex-chief of the Bangladesh Air Force A.G. Mahmud, claimed that Afsar forced many military personnel to participate in the uprising: Firing blank shots in the air, he "hijacked" them [the military personnel] and brought them with him An eyewitness claimed that he saw a group of air force officers being lined up against a wall to be executed by firing squad, on Afsar's orders. However, another mutineer intervened and asked Afsar to spare the officers, which Afsar agreed to. and declared himself head of state. However, the insurrection was put down by government loyalist troops by 8 am, and many mutineers fled. Despite other mutineers urging Afsar to flee, he refused, as he did not want to betray the captured mutineers.

Imprisonment and execution While imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail, Afsar met Anwar Hossain, the younger brother of Lt. Colonel Abu Taher. When asked about the motives for the insurrection, Afsar stated that he was inspired by the events of 7 November 1975, and that many of the demands of the 12-point charter presented to Zia during that earlier uprising had not been implemented.