Abul Monjur

Major General Muhammad Abul Manzur (1940 - 1981) was a Bangladeshi army officer falsely accused of organizing the assassination of Ziaur Rahman on May 30, 1981 in Chittagong. He was a freedom fighter and one of the sector commanders - command west during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 against Pakistan. He was awarded valor under fire by the Bangladeshi Government for his bravery in the liberation war. Although he was a senior army officer to Ziaur Rahman, Zia was appointed to army chief staff instead of him. Manzur later was appointed as Group operations commander Chittagong sector and command south which included Air Force, Navy, border and maritime patrol and national guard forces numbering 60,000. He was also commanding general of 24th Infantry Division, Mechanized and SOC or Special Operations Capable. It was based out of Chittagong and was the country's most powerful land force numbering 25,000 troops. General Manzur started his service with the Pakistani Army before the 1971 war when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. After the war started, at that time Captain Manzur fled Pakistan on a daring escape with his family and few fellow officers across the border to India. From there, they made their way to Bangladesh and Manzur joined up with fellow officers from East Bengal. He was promoted to Major and quickly became a prominent officer within the ranks and won many battles in his sector. Known for his tenacity, keen eye for strategy and deep loyalty from his fellow officers and senior NCOs, in 1975 he was promoted to colonel. Around 1979/80, he was promoted to MG and at the age of 41, became the youngest general of a front line force in south east Asia's history. As Major General - Manzur was responsible for bringing pride back to military. He renewed a sense of purpose, high standard and professionalism was required and trained within the officer ranks and no less was asked of the NCOs. He was central to the idea of joint warfighting in those early days and established command structures for proper use of forces in times of emergency. When Bangladeshi citizens of Burmese decent were starving in the hilltracts district of Chittagong, General Manzur ordered a massive airlift to feed the starving people. That along with other military combat and humanitarian missions, Manzur became a household name in the country.

Role in assassination of Ziaur Rahman

What happened surrounding President Ziaur Rahman's death was a mystery to most of the country and the world. Officially, Ershad's government declared that General Manzur was responsible for the President's death and that Manzur was killed by government forces trying to flee the country. Unofficially, it was a massive cover up by then Army chief of staff Ershad. Ershad was trying to achieve power from Ziaur Rahman not because of any other reason than the fact he wanted to be President. Since Rahman was popular among the people even though his position was obsolete and the country was run by the military - Ershad knew one man who was standing in his way to topple the President and that was Manzur. Major General Manzur was by true definition a patriot and wanted to see his country succeed. Last thing he wanted to see was a despot chief of staff run the country to the ground when he and other fellow Bangladeshis had worked so hard to build.

Capture and death

The dates are a little sketchy but the coup occurred around May 29th or 30th. Simultaneous attacks occurred at the residence of both General Manzur and the President. Forces loyal to Ershad also carried out attacks in other sectors of the country including the capital to capture or kill any officers who were part of the residence loyal to General Manzur and the President. According to some official and unofficial reports, both were taken to different sections of Chittagong and killed instantly.

Official reports show General Manzur was not killed by a mob as was speculated by a single gunshot. It was later shown in an autopsy report to have been via a gunshot to the back of the head - added to the mystery of exactly what happened, because the official report was tampered by Army Intelligence DGFI loyal to Ershad. The rest of the resistance were tried in military court, and given sentences ranging from the death penalty to imprisonment. Some 20 junior officers either were executed by hanging or given jail for life for not siding with the conspirators.

Alternative theories

Whether Manzur was the chief key plotter of assassination of then president Ziaur Rahman is arguable and thus facts have shown to the contrary. One key issue that is discussed is whether a coup could have been organised from Chittagong, without also securing the center of power, Dhaka. The circumstances of army chief of staff Ershad's (who later became president of next 9 years following the consequence of Zia assassination) 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. What is written here are facts but conspiracy theorists have many intangibles they want to add to the mystery and thus keep the events from concluding.