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Khandaker Abdur Rashid

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Khandaker Abdur Rashid
Allegiance Pakistan (Before 1971)
 Bangladesh
Service / branch Pakistan Army
 Bangladesh Army
Years of service1967-1976
Rank Lieutenant Colonel (Dismissed)
UnitRegiment of Artillery
Commands
  • Deputy Commander of Z Force
  • Commander of 2nd Field Artillery Battery
  • CO of 2nd Field Artillery Regiment
Known forAssassination of Sheikh Mujib

Khandaker Abdur Rashid is a Bangladesh Army officer and a accused of assassinating the first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujib.[1][2]

Biography

Khandaker Abdur Rashid was born on 1946 in the district of Comilla, in British India. He served in the Pakistan army and defected during the start of Bangladesh Liberation war. Thus, he was a freedom fighter. Despite having a similarity in family name, the only relation between Abdur Rashid and Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed was their common birth district. Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed became the president of Bangladesh after the assassination of Sheikh Mujib.[3] Rashid was a major at the time of the 15 August 1975 coup and assassination of Sheikh Mujib. He was part of the team that raided the armory of the 2nd Field Artillery on 11:30 pm August 15 to use the weapons in the coup. He was maintaining contact with Moshtaque throughout the time. The conspirators held several meetings at his residence in Dhaka cantonment.[4] He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after the assassination. He returned to Dhaka during the regime of Hussain Mohammad Ershad. He formed Bangladesh Freedom Party with Syed Faruque Rahman. He was elected to parliament in the 15 February 1996 general election from Comilla-6, which was discredited.[5] Faruque was his brother in law.[6]

He was convicted and sentenced to death in absentia for the assassination of Sheikh Mujib. He lives in the United States as of 2000.[7] In 2016 the government of Bangladesh passed a law that allowed for the seizure of the properties of those convicted in the killing of Sheikh Mujib. Abdur Rashid's shares in Kushtia based Jubilee Bank were ordered to be seized by Bangladesh Bank.[8] His daughter Mehnaz Rashid is leader of the Freedom Party and was arrested in 2009 by Bangladesh police.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Extradition effort continues for six killers". Dhaka Tribune. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Bangabandhu killing: Anisul for commission to find conspirators". The Daily Star. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  3. ^ "The conspiracy behind the assassination of Bangabandhu". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Shame darker than the night". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Where are they?". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Scream of the assassin". Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Four could not even be traced". The Daily Star. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  8. ^ "BB asked to confiscate bank shares of Bangabandhu killers". Dhaka Tribune. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Col Rashid's daughter held for blast link". The Daily Star. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
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