A. T. M. Hamidul Hossain Tariq

A. T. M. Hamidul Hossain Tariq is a retired Major of the Bangladesh Army and veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Early life
Tariq was born in 1951 in Bogra and studied at Bogra Zilla School. His father, Abdul Hamid, was a deputy superintendent of police.

Career
Tariq joined the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 when he was 19 years old and a university student. He was motivated to join the war following the 7 March Speech of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was trained in India. He fought in sector-7 in the Mukti Bahini. He commanded a Mukti Bahini camp during the war. His unit liberate Fulbari Upazila from the Pakistan Army on 1 December 1971. After India joined the war, his unit joined the 6th Guard Regiment of the Indian Army led by Lieutenant Colonel V. K. Datta. For his role in the war, he was awarded Bir Bikrom, third highest gallantry award of Bangladesh, and he was the youngest recipient of the award. He was bullet hit eight times during the war. After the Pakistan Army surrendered on 16 December 1971, Tariq entered Bogra on a tank on 18 December.

Tariq joined Bangladesh Army in 1974. He was a second lieutenant stationed in Comilla Cantonment during the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Tariq retired from Bangladesh Army as major in 1989. He joined Padma Oil Company, a state owned company, after retirement.

Tariq has written extensively on the liberation war; writing 35 books on the war. He was awarded the National Kabi Shamsur Rahman Memorial Award for his literary works. He is a director of the Dhaka Mercantile Co-Operative Bank Limited. He signed a statement in 2020 calling for the punishment of those who vandalized a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with other veterans of Bangladesh Liberation War. He was the president of Chittagong University Alumni Association '82.