He was a transport pilot of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport airlift aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force . During the Liberation War he was posted as a Wing Commander in the high altitude region of Gilgit . He was the chief of Bangladesh Air Force from 5 September 1976 to 8 December 1977 . In 1977 he negotiated with the Japanese Red Army who had hijacked Japan Airlines Flight 472 and landed the flight in Dhaka Airport . He worked to get the hostages freed
Japan Airlines Flight 472
Japan Airlines Flight 472 (1977)
Abdul Gafoor Mahmud