Khandoker Mohammad Nurunnabi

Khandoker Mohammad Nurunnabi (31 July 1946 – 8 December 2016) was a Bangladesh Army Major General who served in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. He was awarded the National Sports Awards in 2002, for his contribution to Bangladeshi football as a member of the Shadhin Bangla football team.^[2][3]

Khandoker Mohammad Nurunnabi
Nurunnabi's picture taken from his book
Native name	খন্দকার মোহাম্মদ নুরুন্নবী
Born	(1946-07-31)31 July 1946[1] Kishoreganj, Bengal, British India
Died	8 December 2016(2016-12-08) (aged 70) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Allegiance	Bangladesh
Service / branch	Bangladesh Army Bangladesh Ansar Bangladesh Rifles
Years of service	1971–2001
Rank	Major General
Unit	East Bengal Regiment
Commands	Sub-Commander of Sector – VIII Sector Commander of BDR Commandant of Army School of Physical Training and Sports Instructor of Bangladesh Army Football Team Commander of 111th Infantry Brigade Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party
Battles / wars	Bangladesh Liberation War
Awards	National Sports Awards
Association football career Position(s) Goalkeeper Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1963–1964 Azad Sporting Club 1965–1970 Mohammedan SC Dhaka International career 1970 Pakistan *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

In 1963, Nurunnabi began his football career by joining Azad Sporting Club, where he played until 1964. The following year, Nurunnabi's fulfilled his dream of playing for Mohammedan SC, who were at the time the most popular team in East Pakistan. During his time with the Black & Whites he played alongside group of legendary players like Zakaria Pintoo, Protap Sanker Hazra, Mohamed Kaikobad and Golam Sarwar Tipu. He spent six years in Mohammedan, winning three Dhaka League titles and one Aga Khan Gold Cup (1968) trophy. While at Mohammedan, he got a job at the National Bank of Pakistan (now Sonali Bank).^[4]

In 1970, Nurunnabi became the last debutant from East Pakistan to represent the Pakistan national football team, as he travelled to Tehran, Iran to participate in the 1970 RCD Cup. During the tournament, Nurunabbi played against both Iran and Turkey. Nurunnabi, is among only four goalkeepers from East Pakistan to represent the Pakistan national team, the others being Wazed Ali Miazi, Manzur Hasan Mintu and Shahidur Rahman Shantoo.^[2]

In 1971, after witnessing the massacre caused by Operation Searchlight, Nurunnabi alongside Mohammedan SC teammate Pratap Shankar Hazra, crossed the border to Agartala, India, and then to Kolkata, where he joined the Shadhin Bangla football team. His only appearance for the Shadhin Bangla team came in their first game, which ended as a 2–2 draw against Nadia XI, on July 25. After the game, he met another one of his Mohammedan colleagues, Hafizuddin Ahmed, who helped Nurunnabi join the Bangladesh Liberation War.^[5]

Military

After returning to East Pakistan from India with Hafizuddin Ahmed, Nurunnabi trained as a member of the Bangladesh Army, and was later ordered to take up arms at Kushtia of Sector Eight, under Major Muhammed Abul Manzur, as a sub-sector commander. He remained at his post until the war concluded.^[2]

Following the Independence of Bangladesh, Nurunnabi decided to quit football and continue serving in the army. He was among the first commissioned officers of the Bangladesh Army after independence. During his tenure, he led three infantry battalions and served as the Sector Commander of Sector Commander of Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) in Rangamati. He retired from the army in 2001, attaining the rank of Major General, all while concurrently holding the position of Director General of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party.^[4]

Personal life

In 2013, he released his autobiography "ঢাকা স্টেডিয়াম থেকে সেক্টর আট" (lit. 'From Dhaka Stadium to Sector 8').^[4]

Death

On 8 December 2016, Nurunnabi died after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, at the age of 70.^[6]

References

1. Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
2. "Nurunnabi passes away". The Daily Star. December 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
3. "Shadhin Bangla goalie Nurunnabi dies". New Age. Archived from the original on 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
4. "'ঢাকা স্টেডিয়াম থেকে সেক্টর আট'". Prothomalo (in Bengali). 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024.
5. "স্বাধীন বাংলা ফুটবল দলের গোলরক্ষক নূরুন্নবী আর নেই". bdnews24 (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
6. "স্বাধীনবাংলা ফুটবল দলের গোলরক্ষক নুরুন্নবী আর নেই". DailyInqilabOnline (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2022-12-16.

Bibliography

• Dulal, Mahmud (2014). পাকিস্তান জাতীয় দল বাঙালি খেলোয়াড় (transl. Bengali players in the Pakistan national team) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon.
• Dulal, Mahmud (2020). খেলার মাঠে মুক্তিযুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war in the playground). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.
• Alam, Masud (2017). ফুটবলের গল্প ফুটবলারদের গল্প (transl. The story of football the story of footballers) (in Bengali). Bishhoshahitto Bhobon. ISBN 9789849134688.
• Mahmud, Noman (2018). ফুটবল পায়ে মুক্তির যুদ্ধ (transl. Liberation war fought by football) (in Bengali). Agamee Prakashani. ISBN 978-984-8218-31-0.