Today Bangladesh and the world lost one of its greatest ever fighter pilots.
Group Captain (Retd.) Saiful Azam passed away at 1 PM today aged 79.
Saiful Azam was born in Pabna, Bangladesh. After completing his secondary schooling in erstwhile East Pakistan he moved to West Pakistan and joined the Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur in 1958 where he successfully gained his commission as an officer in the Pakistan Air Force’s General Duties Pilot (GDP) branch in 1960.
After training with the Cessna T-37 aircraft and further education at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, with F-86 Sabres, in 1963, Azam was posted briefly in Dhaka before becoming an instructor with the T-33s at PAF’s No. 2 Squadron (Jet Conversion Unit) in Mauripur, Karachi. While still posted as an instructor, Azam flew in the September 1965 war with India as part of PAF’s No. 17 Squadron from PAF Base Sargodha, flying F-86s. After returning from a successful ground attack, Azam’s group encountered Indian Folland Gnat interceptors; Azam shot down Flight Officer Mayadev of the Indian Air Force. Azam was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat, Pakistan’s third highest military award. In 1966, he assumed the command of PAF’s No. 2 Squadron.
In November 1966, he was sent by the PAF on deputation as an adviser to the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
In 1969, after completing his overseas deputation, he returned in service to the PAF and spent several years as flight commander at various PAF bases before the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
Azam entered service with the newly-formed Bangladesh Air Force after the independence of Bangladesh, serving as Director of Flight Safety and Director of Operations before being given command of the Dhaka Air Base and promoted to Group Captain in 1977. He retired in 1979 as Group Captain.
He also served as Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) twice, Managing Director in the Film Development Corporation (FDC) and Member of fifth Jatiya Sangshad (1991–95) from Pabna-3 constituency (Chatmohar Upazila, Faridpur Upazila and Bhangura Upazila) from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Subsequently, he entered private business as Managing Director of Natasha Trading Agency and as the director of a travel agency with his wife. Saiful Azam has flown for four air forces (Bangladesh, Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan) at war, and has kills against two different air forces (India and Israel). As of 2012, he holds the record for shooting down more Israeli aircraft than any other, total 3. In 2000/2001 the United States government rewarded him as “Living Eagle”.
