Bachtiar Djafar (27 July 1939 – 3 August 2021) was an Indonesian military officer and politician who served as the mayor of Medan, North Sumatra between 1990 and 2000.

[1] He served in the Indonesian Army prior to his government career, including some time as part of Kopassus.

At that time, he held the rank of colonel, and was the first person of Malay descent to serve as mayor of Medan.

[7] The municipal government also conducted dredging works at the city's Deli River, which would not be done by Djafar's later successors.

[1] After his death, a newly established public hospital in the Medan Labuhan district was renamed after him in December 2022.