Assassination of Ziaur Rahman

Ziaur Rahman, the president of Bangladesh, was assassinated by a faction of officers of Bangladesh Army, on May 30, 1981, in the south-eastern port city of Chittagong. Zia went to Chittagong to arbitrate a clash between the local leaders of his party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party. On the night of May 30, a group of officers, led by General Manzur, the regional commander of the Chittagong Cantonment, and Zia's fellow freedom fighter during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The attackers commandeered Chittagong Circuit House, the government residence where Zia was staying, and shot Zia and several others to death.

Aftermath

The coup was quickly subdued by General Hossain Mohammad Ershad (who later organised a coup himself in 1982). 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.The rest of the conspirators were tried in military court, and given sentences ranging from the death penalty to imprisonment.

Following Zia's death, justice Abdus Sattar became president, but was deposed in 1982 by General Ershad.

References

• Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood, by Anthony Mascarenhaas.