| Khalilur Rahman | |
| Birth Date: | 1 January 1927 |
| Birth Place: | Jamalpur, Bengal, British India |
| Death Place: | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Office: | Member of Parliament |
| Term Start: | 10 July 1986 |
| Term End: | 6 December 1987 |
| Predecessor: | Syed Abdus Sobhan |
| Successor: | Mohammad Reza Khan |
| Office1: | 2nd Director General of Bangladesh Rifles |
| President1: | Mohammad Mohammadullah Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad |
| Primeminister1: | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Muhammad Mansur Ali |
| Predecessor1: | Chitta Ranjan Dutta |
| Successor1: | Quazi Golam Dastgir |
| Term Start1: | 22 February 1974 |
| Term End1: | 31 October 1975 |
| Allegiance: | (Before 1973) |
| Branch: | |
| Serviceyears: | 1950-1976 |
| Rank: | Major General |
| Commands: |
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| Unit: | East Bengal Regiment |
| Battles: | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 |
Khalilur Rahman was a major general of Bangladesh Army and former director general of Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) and for Chief of Defence staff.[1]
Khalilur Rahman was born on 1 January 1927 in Nandina, Jamalpur of Bengal Presidency then British India (now in Mymensingh, Bangladesh). He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Presidency College, Calcutta. He later joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1948 and commissioned in East Bengal Regiment in 1950. He was graduated from Staff College, Camberley.
He had started his career by joining the Pakistan Army in 1948. He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army on 26 August 1950 and was posted to the East Bengal Regimental Centre.Later in 1952 he was posted to 1st East Bengal Regiment which was in Jessore Cantonment.At the time of his posting in the 1st East Bengal Regiment Lieutenant Colonel M.A.G. Osmani was the Commanding Officer. He served as the general staff officer second grade at the CENTO Headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel on 22 September 1966 and became the CO of 5th East Bengal Regiment. On 16 May 1970, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and posted to I Corps headquarters.[2] Later, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier on 29 May 1971. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, he was posted in General Headquarters as a director of Defense Security Force.
He repatriated to Bangladesh in 1973 after its independence in 1971.[3] He was the director general of Bangladesh Rifles from 22 February 1974 to 31 October 1975.[4] He was the director general during the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the president of Bangladesh.[5] He pledged allegiance to the new government on Bangladesh Radio after the assassination.[6] He became Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), whose position and power was above chiefs of three defence forces after 15 August coup.
After retirement from Army, Khalilur Rahman joined Bangladesh Awami League. He contested in 1986 Parliamentary Elections as candidate of Awami League from Jamalpur-5. He won the election and was elected to the parliament. In 1991, he contested from the same constituency but lost the election to Sirajul Huq. In 1996, he again participated in the election but this time as a candidate of Gono Forum. He lost the election to Rezaul Karim Hira.