First martial law and Zia administration History of Bangladesh

president ziaur rahman queen juliana , princess beatrix of netherlands in 1979

the coup leaders installed vice-president khondaker mostaq ahmad sheikh mujib s immediate successor. staunch conservative, ahmad promulgated martial law , jailed many prominent confidantes of sheikh mujib, including bangladesh s first prime minister tajuddin ahmad. jailed leaders executed on 3 november 1975. ahmad reshuffled leadership of bangladesh armed forces, paving way country s future military dictatorship.

a counter-coup led brigadier general khaled mosharraf overthrew ahmad presidency on 6 november 1975. chief justice, abu sadat mohammad sayem, installed president. mosharraf killed renegade socialist troops led abu taher on 7 november 1975. army chief, lieutenant general ziaur rahman, emerged country s powerful figure in 1976. served deputy martial law administrator under president sayem.

under dramatically altered dispensation, bangladesh feared invasion india backed soviet union, new government in dhaka received recognition pakistan, saudi arabia , china. according declassified records, bangladesh received assurances united states of western support sovereignty , territorial integrity. dispute on sharing water of ganges, due india s construction of farakka barrage, led bangladesh seek intervention of united nations in 1976. dispute addressed through bilateral agreement in 1977.

lt gen ziaur rahman (popular known zia) assumed presidency , office of cmla justice sayem on 21 april 1977. following presidential elections in june 1978, zia sought give presidency , political ambition democratic legitimacy. formed bangladesh nationalist party (bnp) centre-right political party. zia promoted notion of bangladeshi nationalism territorial , inclusive national identity, emphasis of country s muslim heritage. parliamentary elections held in 1979, in bnp gained landslide majority , awami league became principal opposition party. zia appointed former east pakistani politician , diplomat shah azizur rahman prime minister. lifted ban on jamaat-e-islami.

president zia restored free markets, redefined socialism economic , social justice in constitution , crafted foreign policy emphasised solidarity muslim majority countries , regional co-operation in south asia. bangladesh achieved rapid economic , industrial growth under zia s presidency. government built country s first export processing zones. operated popular food-for-work program, reversed collectivisation of farms , promoted private sector development.

bangladesh s growing anti-communist profile saw president zia opposing soviet invasion of afghanistan.

zia faced twenty 1 attempted coups against government, including 1 air force. 1 time ally colonel abu taher tried treason , executed. similar fates met many of perceived rivals in armed forces. however, final coup attempt resulted in assassination in 1981. zia killed troops loyal major general abul manzoor stormed official residence in chittagong on 30 may 1981. mutiny later suppressed army chief lieutenant general hussain muhammad ershad.