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 Abul Monjur (the regional commander of the Chittagong Cantonment, and Zia's fellow freedom fighter during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971), commandeered Chittagong Circuit House, the government residence where Zia was staying. There they shot dead Zia and several others.

Aftermath

The coup was quickly subdued by General Hossain Mohammad Ershad (who later organised a coup himself in 1982). While Major General Abul Monjur was alleged to have become totally disillusioned with Zia over military and personnel issues (including transfer, which equalled demotion, to Chittagong), many later accused Ershad of having covertly organised that coup, using Monjur. One key issue that is discussed is whether a coup could have been organised from Chittagong, without also securing the capital city of Dhaka (which Ershad controlled). The circumstances of Ershad's support of the anti-coup forces are also mysterious, and it is often said that Ershad gave this support only because of the clear, national revulsion against the assassination of Zia.

Monjur's death - at first described as having been at the hands of an "enraged mob", but later shown in an autopsy report to have been via a gun shot to the back of the head - added to the mystery. The rest of the conspirators were tried in military court, and given sentences ranging from the death penalty to imprisonment.

Following Zia's death, leading judge Abdus Sattar became president, but was deposed in 1982 by a coup by Ershad.

References

* Mascarenhas, Anthony. "Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood". London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1986.
* Lifschultz, Lawrence. "Bangladesh: The Unfinished Revolution". London: Zed Books, 1979.
* Ali, Tariq. "Pakistan: military rule or people's power?". London: Cape, 1970.