Faruk-e-Azam

Faruk-e-Azam (Bengali: ফারুক-ই-আজম) is a member of the advisory council of the Interim government of Bangladesh.^[2] He actively took part in the Bangladesh Liberation War and was later awarded Bir Protik gallantry award by the Government of Bangladesh. He was a naval commando and a deputy commander of the expeditionary team in Operation Jackpot.^[3]

Faruk-e-Azam Bir Protik
Faruk in 2024
Adviser for Liberation War Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 August 2024
President	Mohammed Shahabuddin
Chief Adviser	Muhammad Yunus
Preceded by	Mozammel Haque
Adviser for Disaster Management and Relief
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 August 2024
President	Mohammed Shahabuddin
Chief Adviser	Muhammad Yunus
Preceded by	Muhibur Rahman Muhib
Personal details
Born	Hathazari, Bengal, British India
Awards	Bir Protik
Military service
Allegiance	Bangladesh
Branch/service	Mukti Bahini[1]
Years of service	1971
Unit	Sector 10
Battles/wars	Bangladesh Liberation War  ∟ Operation Jackpot

Early life and education

Faruk-e-Azam was born in the Gul Mohammad Chowdhury house in Farhadabad village, Hathazari upazila, North Chattogram. Azam completed his secondary education from Katiarhat High School in Hathazari in 1966. He passed Higher Secondary Certificate at the beginning of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.^[4][5]

Career

In 1971, Azam was in Khulna at the beginning of the Liberation War. He experienced difficulties while he was on his way to Chattogram.^[6]

On May 6, Azam crossed the border and took shelter in India's Harina Youth Camp. During his stay there, he was enlisted in the navy. After two months of training in Palashi, he was selected for the Operation Jackpot.^[7]

Three teams were selected to attack the Chattogram port on August 16, 1971. One team could not reach Chattogram, but the other two teams, comprising 37 members, participated in the attack, with AW Chowdhury as the captain. Faruk was a deputy commander of "Operation Jackpot", which was one of the biggest operations against the Pakistan forces during the war carried out in Chattogram port.^[8]

Azam was one of the organisers of the first Bijoy Mela in Chattogram in 1989 and was an active member of the Forum for Planned Chattogram.^[9]

In 2011, Azam signed a statement in support of Muhammad Yunus who had been removed from the post of chairman of Grameen Bank.^[10][11]

Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, Azam was sworn in as an adviser of the Muhmmad Yunus led interim government after returning from the United States.^[12]