Hussain Muhammad Ershad | |
|---|---|
হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদ | |
.jpg) Ershadc. 1990 | |
| 9thPresident of Bangladesh | |
| In office 11 December 1983 – 6 December 1990 | |
| Prime Minister | Ataur Rahman Khan Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury Moudud Ahmed Kazi Zafar Ahmed |
| Vice President | A. K. M. Nurul Islam Moudud Ahmed |
| Preceded by | A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury |
| Succeeded by | Shahabuddin Ahmed (acting) |
| 1stChairman of Jatiya Party | |
| In office 1 January 1986 – 14 July 2019 | |
| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | GM Quader |
| 4thChief Martial Law Administrator | |
| In office 24 March 1982 – 11 November 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Ziaur Rahman |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| 6thLeader of the Opposition | |
| In office 3 January 2019 – 14 July 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | Rowshan Ershad |
| Succeeded by | Rowshan Ershad |
| 4thChief of Army Staff | |
| In office 1 December 1978[1] – 30 August 1986 | |
| President |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Ziaur Rahman |
| Succeeded by | Atiqur Rahman |
| Special Envoy of Prime Minister of Bangladesh | |
| In office 25 January 2014 – 9 December 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Saber Hossain Chowdhury |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1930-02-01)1 February 1930 |
| Died | 14 July 2019(2019-07-14) (aged 89) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Party | Jatiya Party (E) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingSaad Ershad |
| Relatives |
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| Education | University of Dhaka Command and Staff College Quetta National Defence College (India) |
| Profession |
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| Awards |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan (before 1971) Bangladesh |
| Branch |  Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army |
| Service years | 1952–1986 |
| Rank | Service number: BA–50[2] |
| Unit | East Bengal Regiment |
| Commands |
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| Conflicts | Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict |
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|---|---|---|
Posts presidency political career Referendum and Elections | ||
| Media gallery | ||
Hussain Muhammad Ershad[a] (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer, dictator and politician who served asthe president ofBangladesh from 1983 to 1990.[b]
He seized power as a result of abloodless coup against PresidentAbdus Sattar on 24 March 1982 (by imposingmartial law and suspending theConstitution). He declared himself President in 1983,[9] and subsequently won the controversial1986 Bangladeshi presidential election. Despite claims to have legitimately won the 1986 election, many consider his regime as amilitary regime.[c] Ershad founded theJatiya Party in 1986 and became a Member of Parliament for JP in the constituency ofRangpur-3 in 1991, with successful re-elections in all subsequent general elections. He was the longest serving male head of government in Bangladeshi history.[15][16]
During his tenure, Ershad pursueddevolution reforms, privatization of nationalised industries; the expansion of the national highway system; and the founding ofSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; he committed his nation's forces as an ally to theUnited States in theGulf War. He contributed to developments in infrastructure and socio-economic growth, divesting key nationalised industries. In 1989, Ershad pushed parliament to make Islam thestate religion, in a sharp departure from Bangladesh's original secular constitution.[17] Ershad was forced to resign as president following a popularmass uprising led byKhaleda Zia andSheikh Hasina.
Ershad was born in 1930 atDinhata inCooch Behar Princely State,British India (now inCooch Behar district, India) to Mokbul Hossain and Mazida Khatun, in aBengali Muslim family ofNashya Shaikh origin.[18] Mokbul was a lawyer who served as a minister of the thenMaharaja of Cooch Behar and was the son of Wakil Saadatullah.[18][19] Ershad was the eldest of nine siblings includingGM Quader,Mozammel Hossain Lalu andMerina Rahman.[18][20] His parents migrated from Dinhata toEast Bengal in 1948 after thePartition of India.[4][21] Ershad studied inCarmichael College inRangpur.[22] He later graduated from theDhaka University in 1950.[4]
Ershad was commissioned into thePakistan Army from the 4th Officers Training School Course in 1952 from officers training school inKohat.[23] He was anadjutant in theEast Bengal Regimental Centre, the regimental training depot inChittagong. He completed advanced courses from theCommand and Staff College inQuetta in 1966. After serving with abrigade inSialkot, he was given command of the 3rdEast Bengal Regiment in 1969 and the 7th East Bengal Regiment in 1971.[4]
From the beginning of theBangladesh War of Independence, Ershad was interned along with other Bengali officers stationed inWest Pakistan and held as aprisoner of war.[24] In 1973, he and the others were repatriated to the new nation of Bangladesh in accordance with theSimla Agreement between India'sIndira Gandhi and Pakistan'sZulfikar Ali Bhutto.[24]
After his return, Ershad was appointed asAdjutant General of theBangladesh Army by President of Bangladesh,Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of independent Bangladesh. The different experiences during the war of the professional and paramilitary officers and soldiers in Bangladesh, together with the country's diverse cultures, created instabilities in the years after independence. The members of the army who had been imprisoned or otherwise out of the country during the 1971 war later tended to form different political alliances than those who had participated in the war. This long influenced the instability of national politics and the armed forces.[25] Ershad was sent for advanced military courses to theNational Defence College (NDC),India.
On 15 August 1975,Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated. AlthoughMaj. Gen.Ziaur Rahman was arrested in a counter-coup on 3 November 1975, he was restored to power in a coup led by Lt. ColonelAbu Taher on7 November 1975. TheChief Justice of Bangladesh,Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem, succeeded to the presidency on 7 November 1975 during martial law. At that time, Ziaur Rahman was appointed as the DeputyChief Martial Law Administrator. General Ziaur Rahman was appointed Army Chief by President of BangladeshKhondaker Mostaq Ahmad. Rahman appointed Ershad as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff in 1975.Ziaur Rahman assumed the presidency after legalising the military coups. He revived the multi-party system through the Fifth Amendment of the Bangladesh Constitution. He appointed Ershad as the newChief of Army Staff, promoting him to the rank of lieutenant general.[4] Viewed as a professional officer and having a talent forBengali speech writing, Ershad soon became the closest politico-military counsellor of Ziaur Rahman.[24]
After theassassination of Ziaur Rahman on 30 May 1981, Ershad remained loyal to the government.[26] He ordered the army to suppress the coup attempt by Major GeneralAbul Manzur. Ershad maintained loyalty to the new presidentAbdus Sattar, who had led the BNP to victory in elections in 1982.[27]Ershad came to power in abloodless coup on 24 March 1982 as Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA). PresidentAbdus Sattar was replaced withA. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury.[28][29]
Ershad imitated his predecessor President Zia in many ways.[30] Initially, he too installed a civilian president,Abul Fazal Muhammed Ahsanuddin Chowdhury (March 1982—December 1983), and became the President only on 11 December 1983. Suspending the constitution and political parties, Ershad took over as president on 11 December 1983 by replacing Chowdhury.[31] Ershad ordered the embassy of theSoviet Union to reduce their staff after the government allegedly saw embassy personnel with anti-government protestors.[32] The police had detained two Soviet diplomats outside of Dhaka in 1982 and Ershad had expressed fear of the Soviet Union.[33][34]
Ershad supported theLand Reforms Ordinance of 1984,[35] which granted important rights to tenants for the first time in the history of Bangladesh. A plan for the divestment of government industries promised to move the country away fromsocialism. In January 1985, he dissolved his council of ministers ahead of the general election.[36] Bangladeshi lawyers went on work absentation to call for fair election and removal of Ershad.[37] In March 1985, Ershad reimposed martial law on Bangladesh.[38] Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were placed under house arrest.[39] He deployed the Army for the referendum seeking approval to stay in power till the next election.[40] In July 1985, he increased the size of his cabinet to 21 ministers which includedKazi Zafar Ahmed andSirakuul Hossain Khan.[41]
Ershad played a key role during the founding summit of the countries of theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985, which was held inDhaka. Member states of South Asian States agreed to cooperate in politics and economics.[42] Ershad brought together the leaders of India and Pakistan,Rajiv Gandhi andMuhammad Zia-ul-Haq, respectively.
As president, Ershad approved amendments to theconstitution of Bangladesh which declared Islam as the state religion, abandoning statesecularism, The secular constitution was later restored.[43][44] to improve rural administration, Ershad introduced theUpazila andZila Parishad system. He held the 'first democratic elections for these village councils' in 1985.[4][43]
Jatiyo Party nominated Ershad in the Presidential Election of 1986, which was organised by his government. The only significant opposition candidates wereHafezzi Huzur andSyed Faruque Rahman, a retired colonel who had been accused in the 15 AugustAssassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman[45] and 3 Novemberjail killing in 1975.[d]Parliamentary elections on 7 May 1986, held under the martial law. Main contenders for the parliamentary seats were the Jatiya (People's) Party, formed on 1 January 1986 when the nationwide ban on political activity was lifted, and comprising the five parties which had together formed the pro-government National Front in July 1985 and the opposition leftist Awami League, led bySheikh Hasina. The largest political party of the second Parliament, BNP decided to boycott the poll. Election day was held in a climate of unrest and was marked by opposition charges of voting fraud and malpractices. On 10 May, polling was suspended in 109 constituencies. Following re-elections in 37 constituencies on 19 May, final results giving JP an absolute parliamentary majority were announced ten days later. Ershad's JP was declared the winner with 153 seats out of 300. There were 115 opposition and 32 independent members. However, the inaugural House session was boycotted by 119 opposition and independent MPs. The same day, a new cabinet was sworn in. Ershad was elected as president on 15 October 1986.[49] The inauguration saw widespread violence and protests against the government.[50]
However, Ershad faced increasing mass demonstrations on the streets mobilised by both the AL led by Sheikh Hasina and the BNP led by Khaleda Zia. The BNP boycotted the 1986 parliamentary election, but the AL which contested in the parliamentary election, later resigned from the parliament.[51] In November 1986,Pope John Paul II visited Bangladesh.[52] Ershad named Justice MinisterA. K. M. Nurul Islam as vice-president in December.[53] He replaced Minister of Home AffairsMahmudal Hasan withM. A. Matin.[53] He dismissed the Deputy Minister for Health and Family Planning and his sister-in-law,Mumta Wahab.[53]
Bangladesh saw violent protests in 1987 calling for the resignation of Ershad.[54] In July, eight people died in 54-hour general strike and hundreds were injured.[55] The protest started against a new law that would allow the military to have role in local development which was opposed by the leader of an opposition party, Sheikh Hasina.[56] In October, security forces detained more than 4,300 opposition activists.[57] In November, Ershad banned marches in Dhaka.[58] On 28 November, he declared a state of emergency which was followed by arrest of opposition leaders includingMirza Golam Hafiz andZillur Rahman.[59] On 6 December 1987, Ershad dissolved the parliament in the midst of an opposition campaign calling for his and his government's resignation, and a nationwide state of emergency, which had been declared on 27 November.[60] He stated that he wished to pave the way for fresh elections to receive the people's mandate on various national issues. The polling date was originally set for 28 February before being postponed.
In January 1988, the government banned all political rallies.[61] 80 people died in violence related to local council elections in February.[62] The University of Dhaka, which was the centre of opposition against Ershad, saw session jams and decline in academic activities due to the unrest.[63] Polling day was marked by violence and a boycott by the three leading opposition groups − the Awami League (an eight-party alliance) headed bySheikh Hasina Wazed, the IslamistJamaat-e-Islami and the right-wing BNP, all of which alleged electoral fraud. In this context, the ruling Jatiya Dal, or Nationalist Party, reportedly increased its parliamentary majority to 251 seats (including 18 unopposed), independents captured 25 seats and several minor parties shared the rest. On 27 March, a new Council of Ministers headed by Ershad was sworn in. The Prime Minister is Moudud Ahmed.[64] In June 1988, Ershad led the parliament in making Islam the State Religion of Bangladesh.[65] He dissolved the Election Reforms Commission after its chairman JusticeBadrul Haider Chowdhury criticized the government.[66] Bangladesh saw nationwide floods which killed more than 121 people.[67] More than 680 died in Monsoon floods.[68]
In January 1990, the government banned protests outside of the parliament.[69] Bangladesh sent two brigades to join the United States led coalition forces in the first Gulf War.[70]
The effective end of the Cold War unleashed democratic forces and dried up international support for military rule in Bangladesh.[71][72] A wide umbrella of political parties united against Ershad. Khaleda Zia led the BNP, which allied with the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, andBangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Student activists of various parties united in anti-regime street demonstrations.[73] They were joined by labour unions and government workers. By late November 1990, the uprising shut down government services and paralysed the major cities.[74][75] In a bid to subdue the opposition, Ershad attempted to declare martial law, but Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant GeneralNuruddin Khan refused to support him.[76] Ultimately Ershad was forced to step down on 6 December 1990.[77] Lieutenant GeneralMohammad Noor Uddin Khan removed officers loyal to Ershad.[78][79]
Ershad appointed JusticeShahabuddin Ahmed to form an acceptable neutralcaretaker government and prepare for democratic elections. Shahabuddin immediately placed Ershad under arrest and detained him, an action declared illegal in 1998 in a case appealed to the nation'sSupreme Court.[80]
Although anti-Ershad sentiment was strong, Ershad contested the 1996 election from jail and still won all five different constituencies he had contested from in 1991.[30] The new government led by the BNP's Khaleda Zia instituted a number of corruption charges. Ershad was convicted in two charges till date, while all others were dismissed and thrown out of court.
Ershad stabilized the Bangladesh Armed Forces, which had struggled with a series of coups and countercoups since the nation achieved independence in 1971. These arose in part because of the division in the Army between those who had participated in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, and those who had been interned or voluntarily stayed in West Pakistan during the conflict. As those men were repatriated and the Armed Forces needed their participation, they were welcomed back, but complained of discrimination in favour of the freedom fighters.[25] The repatriated officers comprised 60% of the officers and a sizeable interest group.[25] The freedom fighters, part of the development of Bangladesh from the beginning, tended to identify with the Awami League. The repatriated officers tended to identify with the BNP as the opposition. They carried out their rivalries in part through coups.[25]
The Bangladesh Armed Forces did not attempt any coups from Ershad's takeover in 1982 until the fall of the BNP government in 1996.[25] The Awami League in alliance with Jatiya Party won theJune 1996 general election.[25]
Ershad approved the participation in 1988 of theBangladesh Army inUnited Nations Peacekeeping Operations for the first time.[81][82] In addition to contributing to multi-national initiatives, this enabled the Armed Forces to earn foreign currency. Their participation in other UN-sponsored actions has continued to contribute to the treasury.[83]
Ershad accelerated the privatisation of state owned enterprises which had begun in 1975 and encouraged private and foreign investment through his 'New Industrial Policy'.[84] The boom in exports in thegarment industry also continued under his rule, employing large numbers of women albeit in harsh conditions.[85]
The Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority (JMBA) was set up by an ordinance promulgated by then President Ershad on 3 July 1985 to implement the project. For mobilisation of domestic resources, another ordinance was promulgated by which a Jamuna Bridge surcharge and levy were introduced. A total of Tk 5.08 billion was mobilised in the process till its abolition.
Ershad was awarded theUnited Nations Population Award in 1987 for his contributions to population and environmental issues.[86][87]
On 15 May 2011, Supreme Court declared the military rule of Ershad illegal in a verdict that also said the actions taken by his regime will remain effective until their fate is decided by parliament. "All proclamations, Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders, made/promulgated during the period between 24 March 1982 and the date of commencement of the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1986 (Act 1 of 1986) are hereby declared illegal and void....," the SC said in its brief verdict.[88]
Ershad, is the only high-profile politician to be convicted of corruption and serve a prison sentence. Legal complexities tend to prolong the investigation and settlement of the corruption cases against senior politicians in Bangladesh." We really don't know what will be the fate of these cases", lawyerShahdeen Malik told the BBC.[89]
Ershad lost his membership in parliament owing to his conviction on charges of corruption when his relations with the ruling Awami League subsequently deteriorated. He switched his support to his one-time political adversary and main opposition leader, Khaleda Zia forming an anti-government coalition.[90]Khaleda Zia of the BNP and Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League allied together to oust Ershad. Ironically both of these two top parties also allied with him and his Jatiya Party in time of their need to suit their purpose.[91]
Ershad called PresidentIajuddin Ahmed three times along withKazi Zafar Ahmed twice on 23 December not to extend two days time for filing nominations for scheduled 22 January 2007 elections when Awami League and its allies decided to join that elections after long parley ofMukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury with Sheikh Hasina. However, for the sake of continuation of democratic process Chowdhury convinced all concerned that without both Awami League andBNP the election would not be credible. On 30 June 2007, Ershad stepped down temporarily from the post of Party chairman, indicating an end to his political career.[92] It is speculated that he stepped down under pressure as the Caretaker Government started a series of prosecution and arrest for corruption and criminal charges against political leaders of Awami League and BNP including Sheikh Hasina,[93] Khaleda Zia,[94][95] and Zia's sonTareq Rahman,[96] among others.[97][98]
On 1 March 1998, theSupreme Court of Bangladesh ruled that President Ershad's original arrest in 1990 by the caretaker government, led by Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, was illegal.[80] This ruling would have permitted Ershad to sue the government for wrongful arrest. Ershad was convicted on a separate and unrelated charge eleven years after this arrest.
Ershad has been convicted and served time for only one case that has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the nation –Janata Tower Case. When his relations with the ruling Awami League subsequently deteriorated as he joined hands with the other main opposition BNP of Khaleda Zia.
He was found guilty in the Janata corruption case and was sentenced by the trial court to seven years imprisonment. Later the High Court Division affirmed the conviction but reduced the sentence to five years. The people were charged with building the Janata. It involved two charges – abuse of power in allotting land in Dhaka, which took place after Ershad colluded withM. M. Rahmat Ullah; and possessing unaccounted money. TheJustice in his 91-page verdict found Ershad guilty under the Prevention Act.
Ershad was sentenced in corruption case on 20 November 2000. He was released on bail, on 9 April 2001 after serving four months in jail in Dhaka. As a result, he could not contest the2001 general election.
At the time of his death there were still a few other pending cases against him but most had been thrown out of the court or had cleared him of any wrongdoing. The most famous case that the BNP Government at the time falsely implicated him by was a gold smuggling case.[99] This was later thrown out by a Dhaka Court.[100][101][102]
In 2006, he protested against the controversial Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz decisions on holding polls.[103]
In 2006, as the BNP's term was ending Ershad joined the party's 4-Party Alliance after meetings with Tarique and Babar, which were followed by meeting with Khaleda Zia at her Mainul Road House. However, in late October 2006, he said he was not in the 4-Party Alliance, reversing his position the following day. Then he went into hiding for 3 days and joined the Awami League's Grand Alliance at Paltan Maidan with Sheikh Hasina.
But Hasina later breached the agreement between the two which promised to make Ershad the President for at least six months. Moeen also committed to make him president before 11 January 2007, but did not. Earlier, Ershad had been offered the position of head of the Government in 1991 by Sheikh Hasina while he was in jail, as well as by Khaleda Zia in 1996 just before the Awami League formed the government after a period of 21 years.[104] Then, Ershad had joined the 4-Party alliance after the 1996 elections, but left later.
On 8 April 2008, Ershad took charge of his Jatiya Party once again.[105] On 19 November 2008, Jatiya Party and Awami League agreed to contest the elections jointly under the Caretaker Government to be held on 29 December 2008. Out of the 300 constituencies in the parliament, Ershad's Jatiya Party contested from 49 (later 42 as Awami League did not pull back its candidates from few seats as agreed earlier) seats and Awami League and members of a leftist Fourteen Party Coalition from the rest 250 seats.[106] At the last minute, Ershad supported the Awami League in the December 2008 election.[107] Thus, the Grand Alliance emerged in Bangladesh.
Ershad contested theBangladesh Parliamentary Election 2008 from three constituencies. According to Bangladesh electoral laws, a person is allowed to contest from three places, but can retain only one seat and two are to have by-elections after formation of government. These constituencies included Rangpur (Rangpur-3 andKurigram-2), andDhaka-17, the capital's diplomatic zone, where he resides. He won all three seats in the election.
The 2014 Election was a controversial election for Jatiya Party where Ershad's spokespersonBobby Hajjaj had first publicly declared that Jatiya Party would not participate in the election. After the 2014 election, Ershad became the special envoy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the Awami League-led government. Jatiya Party became the opposition party andRowshan Ershad, Ershad's wife, became the leader of the opposition.[108] Despite being in the opposition party some leaders of Jatiya Party were also in the government cabinet.[109] In January 2016, Ershad's brother,GM Quader, was made the vice chairman of the party.[110] In April 2016, Ershad appointed Rowshan as the vice-chairman of the party.[111] In March 2017, Ershad indicated he might form a new political alliance with 14 other parties.[112][113] For the next general election, the Jatiya Party under Ershad formed a 58 party grand alliance of its own. But of the 58 parties, only the Jatiya Party andBangladesh Islami Front had registration with the election commission as of 2017.[114]
| Year | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Military | 32,661,233 | 94.47 | Won | |
| 1986 | JP(E) | 21,795,337 | 84.10 | Won | |
| Year | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Rangpur-1 | JP(E) | 50,004 | 56.5 | Won | |
| Rangpur-2 | 50,221 | 45.4 | Won | |||
| Rangpur-3 | 86,114 | 67.3 | Won | |||
| Rangpur-5 | 71,132 | 50.2 | Won | |||
| Rangpur-6 | 35,260 | 38.4 | Won | |||
| June 1996 | Rangpur-2 | 66,929 | 47.7 | Won | ||
| Rangpur-3 | 1,05,590 | 69.7 | Won | |||
| Rangpur-5 | 87,387 | 51.5 | Won | |||
| Rangpur-6 | 60,665 | 52.0 | Won | |||
| Kurigram-3 | 67,262 | 60.0 | Won | |||
| 2008 | Rangpur-3 | 2,39,046 | 89.5 | Won | ||
| Kurigram-2 | 2,09,505 | 72.7 | Won | |||
| Dhaka-17 | 1,23,936 | 66.9 | Won | |||
Ershad marriedRowshan Ershad in 1956. The couple had a son and daughter, includingSaad Ershad.[e]
Rowshan was elected five times as aJatiya Sangsad member, nominated each time by theJatiya party. Only in the 2008 election, did Ershad decided to join the Awami League-led alliance and Rowshan went with BNP.[118] After his death, she became the senior co-chairman of the Jatiya party.[119]
Ershad later married Bidisha Siddique in 2000.[120] It ended in a divorce and sedition charges brought by the thenBNP government against her in 2005.[121] He divorced her for allegedly hiding her first marriage, which still was not annulled at the time of their marriage.[122] Together they had a son, Eric Ershad.[123] Ershad had adopted a son.[123]
In 1986,The Observer newspaper quoted a woman named Marieum Mumtaz as saying she had secretly married Ershad on 14 August 1982, after he forced her to divorce banker Chowdhury Badruddin.[124] Early in 1990, the story surfaced again in theNew York Post andThe Sunday Correspondent.[124] In June 1990, she filed a suit against Ershad in the United States, seeking dissolution of marriage. She alleged that he had abandoned her.[125]
In 1990,Dainik Bangla, a government-owned daily, claimed Ershad andZeenat Mosharraf used to meet at a guest house owned by theBangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation.[124][126] Zeenat's husband,A. K. M. Mosharraf Hossain, was the company's chairman until 1988 when he was given a job in Ershad's government as secretary of theMinistry of Industries.[124]
Ershad was a devotee of theSufi Pir Atroshi and spent considerable time with him during his presidency.[127]
Ershad was admitted toCombined Military Hospital, Dhaka on 26 June 2019 and on 29 June after his condition suddenly deteriorated. He died on14 July 2019 at the hospital.[f] Hisstate funeral took place two days following his death.[g]
Footnotes
Citations
Syed Faruk Rahman, a retired colonel, known to be a key figure in the assassination plot of Sheikh Mujib ... WhileHafezzi Huzur's candidacy gave certain substance to the election ... Faruk Rahman's appearance in public life was often construed as an attempt by the military to rehabilitate the assassins of Mujib.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of the Army Staff 1978–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of Bangladesh 1983–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 2019 | Vacant Title next held by Rowshan Ershad |
| Party political offices | ||
| New political party | Jatiya Party (Ershad) nominee for President of Bangladesh 1986 | Vacant |
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
