Military coups in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has faced several military coups since its independence from Pakistan in 1971.

1975 coups

15 August

The coup of 15 August, 1975 was organized by officers of Bangladesh Army. They were led by Major Syed Faruqe Rahman and Major Rashid. The coup resulted in the assassination of the country's president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his entire family (daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana escaped as they were in Germany) and several ministers and leaders of Awami League. A civilian court in 1999, during the trial of the killers of Sheikh Mujib however alleged in its verdict that the senior army commander and later President Ziaur Rahman had the fore-knowledge of the coup, and covertly co-operated with the rebel majors.

3 November

The government set up by Major Faruque, Major Rashid and Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad was overthrown in another coup on 3 November, 1975. This was organized by General Khaled Mosharraf, Bir Uttom, a decorated freedom fighter. Mosharraf was seen by many as a supporter of the pre-August government. He took the army chief and fellow freedom fighter General Ziaur Rahman as a prisoner but did not execute him apparently because of Zia's huge popularity among the army. Some also claim that personal friendship between the two generals prevented General Musharraf to decide for a execution.

7 November

General Mosharraf's 3 day coup ended due to revolt by soldiers of Bangladesh Army. They freed General Zia from house arrest and killed the coup leader Gen Khaled Mosharraf and his associates. Rumors about Musharraf's affiliation with India (a FEER cover at the time carried the headline "The Indian Coup?") aggravated army suspicion of this coup. Former Army Chief General Shafiullah alleged that many JSD (Jatiyothabadi Shomajthantrhik Dol: National Socialist Party) elements infiltrated the army in early 1975. On 6-7 November 1975 some of the JSD elements distributed leaflets and agitated soldiers against the officer class of the army. JSD tried to control the counter-coup organized by former army Colonel, and freedom war veteran, Abu Taher. Colonel Taher rescued Zia from captivity but was later executed in a secret trial led by Ziaur Rahman. The special tribunal was described as a "kangaroo trial" by journalist Lawrence Lifschultz and led to his expulsion from the country by the military junta of General Zia. Lifschultz later documented the tumukltuous coup and counter-coup of this period in "Bangladesh: The Unfinished Revolution."

Coups between 1977-1980

General Ziaur Rahman survived as many as 21 coups during his five years until succumbing to the 22nd one. Most of those coups were led by the 1971 freedom-fighter officers who were irked by Zia's liaison with anti liberation pro Islamic quarters. He strongly carried on oppression of rebel officers, and by the time he was assassinated in 1981 most freedom-fighters in Bangladesh army were executed or sacked.

1981 coup

The coup of 30 April, 1981 took place in the southern port city of Chittagong, where President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers led by General Manjur, another freedom fighter of General Zia. While General Manjur was alleged to be infuriated with Zia over military and personnel issues (including transfer, which equalled demotion, to Chittagong), many quarters later accused then army chief and later President Hossain Mohammad Ershad to have covertly organised that coup using General Manjur. One key issue that is discussed is whether a coup could have been organized from Chittagong, without also securing the capital city of Dhaka (which Ershad was in charge of). The circumstances of Ershad's support of the anti-coup forces are also mysterious and alleged to have only followed the clear, national revulsion against the assassination of Zia. The mysterious death of Manzur, alleged to have been at the hand of an "enraged mob", but later shown in autopsy reprt to be via a clean bullet shot to the back of the head, added to the mystery and allegations.

1982 coup

General Hossain Mohammad Ershad organized a blood less coup on 25 March, 1982 when he overthrew the elected president Abdus Sattar of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and took over as Chief Martial Law Administrator. He remained in power until 1990 when the military withdrew its support of his dictatorship against the backdrop of mass movement. This came after steady erosion of Ershad's national popularity, including the iconic death bed drawing by artist Quamrul Hassan where he drew a sketch of General Ershad with the slogan underneath "The Country In The Hands Of The World Shameless."

Later coup attempts

In 1996, Bangladesh army chief Lt. General Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim Bir Bikram, a decorated freedom fighter who was appointed army chief by the previous prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, refused to execute the Presidents order to sack some of Nasim's favourite army commanders. In the days following the sacking there was considerable military build up in and around Dhaka as troops loyal to the President led by senior commanders like Major General Matin, Major General Imamuzzaman (all reknown freedom fighters)prepared to defend the capital Dhaka from those loyal to the General who were advancing towards Dhaka from districts. However, the situation was politically defused at the initiative of the Caretaker Governemnt led by Justice Habibur Rahman. General Nasim was arrested and General Mahbubur Rahman, a non-freedom fighter army commander, was appointed the new army chief. General Nasim's associates General Ibrahim and few others were sacked and tried in a military court. Later in the year after the election, the new center-left government led by the Awami League overturned Nasim's dismissal and offerred him a regular retirement instead, sent General Rahman on mandatory retirement, and appointed General Mustafizur Rahman, a freedom fighter who was at 7 days to end his leave prior retirement (LPR) , as the new army chief. General Mustafiz is related (Uncle) to Awami League President Shiekh Hasina.

2006 coup

In December 2006, acting President Iajuddin Ahmed called in the army to counter strikes planned by the 14-party alliance led by the center-left Awami League protesting a flawed voter list (15% illegal names as per international organization NDI) and compromised election commission. The moves are being watched with alarm by those concerned that this could be a dry run for another coup.

External links

1975, 1982 or 2006? http://shobakorg.blogspot.com/2006/11/general-labyrinth.html Generals In Labyrinth]

References

Mascarenhas, Anthony. Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1986.