The Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Regime (1972-1975)

 

Homecoming: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Pakistan jail and via London he made a triumphant homecoming, arriving in Dhaka on 10 January 1972 in the midst of joy and jubilations throughout the country. Upon assuming the presidency after Yahya Khan's resignation, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto responded to international pressure and released Mujib on 8 January 1972. 26th March 1971, Bangabandhu was arrested and taken to Pakistan after midnight via Tejgaon international airport on a PAF C-130 flight. He was moved to West Pakistan and kept under heavy guard in a jail near Faisalabad (then Lyallpur). Pakistani general Rahimuddin Khan was appointed to preside over Mujib's military court case in Faisalabad, the proceedings of which have never been made public. 11th August: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is put on secret trial before a military court in Pakistan on charges of waging war against Pakistan. He will be sentenced to death in the latter part of the year. The then US Senator Edward M Kennedy termed the secret trial of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman inside the jail of Pakistan "as an outrage to every concept of international law.“ Addressing a news conference in New Delhi on August 16, 1971, after spending four days touring the then East Pakistan's refugee camps in India, Kennedy said, "The only crime of Mujib is guilty of winning an election."

The freedom-loving people of the world demanded absolute security of Bangabandhu's life. Once Bangladesh was liberated the Bangladesh government demanded that Bangabandhu be released immediately and unconditionally. A number of countries, including India and the Soviet Union and various international organisations urged the release of Bangabandhu. Pakistan had no right to hold Bangabandhu, who was the architect of Bangladesh. In the meantime, Bangladesh had been recognised by many countries of the world. After release from prison, Bhutto and Mujib met in Rawalpindi. In that meeting, Bhutto proposed some links between Pakistan and Bangladesh. However Mujib said he could not commit to anything until he visited Bangladesh and talked to his colleagues. He was then flown to London where he met with British Prime Minister Edward Heath and addressed the international media at the Claridge's Hotel. Mujib then flew to New Delhi on a Royal Air Force (RAF) jet aircraft provided by the British government to take him back to Dhaka. In New Delhi, he was received by India President Varahagiri Venkata Giri and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as well as the entire Indian cabinet and chiefs of armed forces. Delhi was given a festive look as Mujib and Indira addressed a huge crowd where he publicly expressed his gratitude to Indira Gandhi and "the best friends of my people, the people of India". "From New Delhi, Sheikh Mujib flew back to Dhaka on the RAF jet where he was received by a massive and emotional sea of people at Tejgaon Airport."

Hundreds of thousands of people of all walks of life received him at the Tejgaon old Airport according him a heroic welcome. With his homecoming, all uncertainties loomed large around the leadership of the new republic, for that matter, the future of Bangladesh were removed, as Daily The Guardian (published from London) in an editorial on 10 January 1972 wrote: 'Once Sheikh Mujibur Rahman steps out at Dacca Airport the new republic becomes a solid fact.„ Bangabandhu briefly assumed the provisional presidency and later took office as the prime minister.

 Making of the constitution: Bangabandhu charged the provisional parliament to write a new constitution, and proclaimed the four fundamental principles of "nationalism, secularism, democracy, and socialism," which would come to be known as "Mujibism“. It was adopted on 16 December 1972. The following day on 11 March 1972, in his capacity as the President of newly independent Peoples‟ Republic of Bangladesh, issued the Provisional Constitution of Bangladesh Order 1972. British legacy: The advent of British rule in the 18th century displaced the centuries of governance developed by South Asian empires. The Regulating Act of 1773 passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom was the first basic law in the Bengal Presidency. The British Empire did not grant universal suffrage and democratic institutions to its colonies. The British slowly granted concessions for home rule. The Government of India Act 1858, Indian Councils Act 1861, Indian Councils Act 1892 and Indian Councils Act 1909 were later important laws of government. The legislatures of British India included the Bengal Legislative Council and the Eastern Bengal and Assam Legislative Council in the early 20th century. The Nehru Report recommended for universal suffrage, a bi-cameral legislature, a senate and a house of representatives. The Fourteen Points of Jinnah demanded provincial autonomy and quotas for Muslims in government. The Government of India Act 1935 established provincial parliaments based on separate electorates. The 1940 Lahore Resolution, supported by the first Prime Minister of Bengal, asked the British government that "the North-Western and Eastern Zones of (British) India should be grouped to constitute „independent states‟". It further proclaimed "that adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in the constitution for minorities in these units and in the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights". The resolution's status is akin to the Magna Carta in Bangladesh and Pakistan, in terms of the concept of independence. On 20 June 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted on the partition of Bengal. It was decided by 120 votes to 90 that, if Bengal remained united, it should join the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.

Union with Pakistan: Section 8 of the Indian Independence Act 1947 provided that the Government of India Act, 1935 with certain amendments and adaptations would be the working constitution of the Dominion of Pakistan during the transitional period. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan included 79 members, of whom 44 were from East Bengal, 22 from West Punjab, 5 from Sind, 3 from the North-West Frontier Province, 1 from Baluchistan and 4 from the acceding princely states. The Bengali Language Movement and demands for replacing separate electorates with joint universal suffrage were key issues in East Bengal. The first constituent assembly was arbitrarily dissolved by the Governor-General in 1954. This led to the court challenge of Federation of Pakistan v. Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan, in which the federal court supported the Governor General's decision, although Justice A. R. Cornelius expressed dissent. The dissolution of the assembly was one of the first major blows to democracy in Pakistan. The Constitution of Pakistan of 1956 was adopted by a second constituent assembly elected in 1955. It declared two provinces- East Pakistan and West Pakistan; and two federal languages- Urdu and Bengali. The first Pakistani constitution was in place for only a few years. General Ayub Khan staged a military coup and introduced the Constitution of Pakistan of 1962. The 1962 constitution introduced a presidential system in which electoral colleges would be responsible for electing the president and governors. The chief ministers' offices were abolished, and parliament and provincial assemblies were delegated to a mainly advisory role. The system was dubbed "Basic Democracy". In 1965, Fatima Jinnah's failed bid for the presidency prompted allegations of a rigged electoral system. The Six Points of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman demanded parliamentary democracy. Rahman's Six Points were part of the manifesto of the Awami League, the party which won the first general election in East and West Pakistan in 1970. Bangladesh: The Provisional Government of Bangladesh issued the Proclamation of Independence on 10 April 1971, which served as the interim first constitution of Bangladesh. It declared “equality, human dignity and social justice” as the fundamental principles of the republic. East Pakistani members of Pakistan's federal and provincial assemblies were transformed into members of the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh. The constituent assembly had 404 members.

On 23 March 1972, the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh Order was promulgated as envisaged in the Provisional Constitution of Bangladesh Order 1972. This Order provided for a parliamentary form of government and constituted the Constituent Assembly with the Members of National Assembly (MNAs) and East Pakistan Provincial Assembly (MPAs) who were elected, under the Legal Framework of President Yahiya Khan‟s martial law, by the people of East Pakistan in December 1970 and January 1971 for giving the newly independent country a secular democratic Constitution.

The Constituent Assembly had its first meeting on 10 April 1972. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker were Mr Shah Abdul Hamid and Mr Mohammed Ullah. In this session, a Constitution Drafting Committee consisting of 34 members (including Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed and AHM Kamruzzaman) was formed under the Chairmanship of Dr Kamal Hossain (the then Law Minister). The only woman member of the Constitution Drafting Committee was Razia Banu, whereas the only opposition member was Mr Surenjit Sen Gupta.

The Drafting Committee had 74 meetings to draft the Constitution and on 10 June 1972, it approved the Draft Constitution. With a purpose of observing the practical working of the parliamentary constitutional system, the Chair of the Committee Dr Kamal Hossain went to the UK and Indian. A foreign expert on drafting Constitution was reported to have brought to Dhaka and his assistance was taken in drafting the Constitution. The Draft Constitution of 72 pages containing 103 Articles was presented to the Constituent Assembly on 12 October 1972, in its second session.

The Third Reading on the Bill was held on 4 November 1972 and on the same day, the Assembly adopted the Constitution of Bangladesh. To commemorate this historic day, 4 November is observed as the „Constitution Day.‟ It was given effect from 16 December 1972, on the first anniversary of the „victory day‟ of Bangladesh. The original handwritten Constitution was of 93 pages. The main writer of the original Constitution was Mr Abdur Rouf. The handwritten Constitution was decorated by noted Artist Joynal Abedin.

The handwritten Constitution, both Bengali original one and its corresponding English translated one, was signed by the Members of the Constituent Assembly

on 14 December 1972. The Constitution has declared Bangladesh a Republic committed to the principles of democracy and human rights; rule of law; freedom of movement, assembly and association; freedom of religion and international peace and harmony.

 Reconstruction of the war-ravaged country: After the Liberation, Bangabandhu and the Awami League government faced a formidable challenge in reconstructing the war-ravaged country. Communication system, the posts and industries were completely in ruins. Schools and colleges, factories and food silos were burnt to ashes by the marauding Pakistani soldiers. Then there was the staggering problem of the rehabilitation of the families of the martyrs, of those who were maimed by the War and of the women tortured by the Pak army.

In January 1972 Time magazine reported:- "In the aftermath of the Pakistani army's rampage last March, a special team of inspectors from the World Bank observed that some cities looked "like the morning after a nuclear attack." Since then, the destruction has only been magnified. An estimated 6,000,000 homes have been destroyed, and nearly 1,400,000 farm families have been left without tools or animals to work their lands. Transportation and communications systems are totally disrupted. Roads are damaged, bridges out and inland waterways blocked. The rape of the country continued right up until the Pakistani army surrendered a month ago. In the last days of the war, West Pakistani-owned businesses which included nearly every commercial enterprise in the country remitted virtually all their funds to the West. Pakistan International Airlines left exactly 117 rupees ($16) in its account at the port city of Chittagong. The army also destroyed banknotes and coins, so that many areas now suffer from a severe shortage of ready cash. Private cars were picked up off the streets or confiscated from auto dealers and shipped to the West before the ports were closed."

Ten million refugees, who had fled to India, were to be brought back and rehabilitated. The economy was in a shambles, foreign currency reserve was nil; the food silos were empty. The possibility of famine was being forecast. Things were compounded by the drought of 1972, the devastating cyclone of 1973, the adverse effect of the worldwide recession owing to the Arab-Israeli War and the

floods of 1974 etc. A greater threat to the political stability of the newborn country was posed by the conspiracies of the defeated anti-liberation quarters.

The government of Bangabandhu had to confront these challenges of reconstruction on a War footing. On his return from his confinement in Pakistan on January 10, 1972, Bangabandhu devoted himself to this stupendous task of reconstruction. We can enumerate the successes of the Bangabandhu government of 3 years briefly as follows:

 Restoration of a communication system within the shortest possible time; the clearing of mines at Chittagong and Chalna Ports

 Rehabilitation of 10 million refugees who had taken shelter in India

 Granting of economic aid to the families of martyred freedom fighters

 Rehabilitation of nearly 3 lakh women who were dishonoured during the War

Sending of disabled freedom-fighters abroad for treatment

 Ensuring the return of the Indian forces within 3 months of the Liberation

Framing of one of the world‟s best constitutions within 10 months

 Introduction of Parliamentary system

 The holding of general elections in 1973 (AL won 293 out of 300 seats)

Reorganization of the Defence Forces

 Appointment of the Kudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission for framing a scientific and secular education policy

 The promulgation of a democratic ordinance for the universities (1973)

 Nationalization of 40 thousand primary schools

 Winning of recognition by 140 nations of the world

 Singing the Ganges-Water Sharing Treaty with India ensuring 44,000 cusecs of water for Bangladesh; etc.

In 1974, when the anti-liberation forces accelerated their disruptive activities, Bangabandhu felt the necessity of uniting all the pro-Liberation forces of the country under one banner. To this end, he formed the Bangladesh Krishak-Sramik Awami League on 24 January 1975. He also declared the programme called the Second Revolution in order to revitalize the economy and to cement the national unity. As a result of this, the law and order situation improved considerably, the

prices of essential commodities came down and political stability returned to the country.

Bangabandhu set forth the guiding principle of Bangladesh's foreign policy: 'Friendship to all and malice to none‟. After Bangladesh achieved recognition from major countries, Bangabandhu helped Bangladesh enter into the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. He travelled to the United States, the United Kingdom and other European nations to obtain humanitarian and developmental assistance for the nation. Bangabandhu maintained a close tie with India. He signed a treaty of friendship with India, which pledged extensive economic and humanitarian assistance and began training Bangladesh's security forces and government personnel. Bangabandhu forged a close friendship with Indira Gandhi, strongly praising India's decision to intercede, and professed admiration and friendship for India.

Bangabandhu sought Bangladesh's membership in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Islamic Development Bank and made a significant trip to Lahore in 1974 to attend the OIC summit, which helped repair relations with Pakistan to an extent. On the international stage, Bangabandhu and his Indian counterpart Indira Gandhi signed the 25-year Indo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace. Bangladesh joined the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Commonwealth of Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Bangabandhu was invited to Washington DC and Moscow for talks with American and Soviet leaders. He declared that Bangladesh would be the “Switzerland of the East” and by this declaration, he meant that Bangladesh would steer clear from the Cold War and would remain non-partisan in the tug of Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.

Many Eastern European countries, particularly Yugoslavia, East Germany and Poland, enjoyed excellent relations with Bangladesh. The Soviet Union supplied several squadrons of Mig-21 planes for the Bangladesh Air Force. Fidel Castro said “I have not seen the Himalayas. But I have seen Sheikh Mujib. In personality and in courage, this man is the Himalayas. I have thus had the experience of witnessing the Himalayas.”

The murder of Bangabondhu and his family: The Father of the Nation, first president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and almost his entire family were killed during the early hours of 15 August 1975, when a group of young Bangladesh Army personnel went into his residence and assassinated Sheikh Mujib as part of a coup d'état.

Conspirators: Major Syed Faruque Rahman; Khandaker Abdur Rashid; Shariful Haque Dalim; and Mohiuddin Ahmed, along with A. K. M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Bazlul Huda, and S. H. M. B. Noor Chowdhury planned to topple the government and establish a military government of their own. Khondaker Mushtaq Ahmad, an Awami League cabinet minister under Mujib's government, agreed to take over the Presidency. Journalist Lawrence Lifschultz paints an alternate picture of the conspiracy, however, that implicates Mostaq and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In his book Bangladesh: The Unfinished Revolution, he wrote that the "CIA station chief in Dhaka, Philip Cherry, was actively involved in the killing of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is alleged that the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kazi Mohammed Shafiullah, and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence Air Vice Marshal, Aminul Islam Khan, were aware of the conspiracy

Assassination: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officials on August 15, 1975, along with most of his family members excepting for his two daughters who had been staying abroad at that time. Bangabandhu‟s eldest daughter, Sheikh Hasina, is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

In the early morning of 15 August 1975, the conspirators divided into four groups. One group, consisting of members of the Bengal Lancers of the First Armoured Division and 535th Infantry Division under Major Huda, attacked Mujib's residence. That the army platoon protecting the president's house offered no resistance. Sheikh Kamal, son of Mujib, was shot at the reception area on the ground floor. Meanwhile, Mujib was asked to resign and allowed time to consider his choice. He telephoned Colonel Jamil Uddin Ahmad, the new Chief of Military Intelligence.

When Jamil arrived and ordered the troops back to the barracks, he was gunned down at the gate of the residence. After he refused to resign, Mujib was shot and killed. Other people killed in the attack were Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Mujib, who was killed upstairs; Sheikh Nasser, younger brother of Mujib, who was killed in a lavatory; several servants of Mujib, who were also killed in lavatories; Sheikh Jamal, the second son of Mujib and an army officer; ten-year-old Sheikh Russel, the youngest son of Mujib; and two daughters-in-law of Mujib.

In Dhanmondi, two other groups of soldiers killed Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani, Mujib's nephew and a leader of the Awami League along with his pregnant wife, Arzu Moni, and Abdur Rab Serniabat, Mujib's brother-in-law. They also killed a minister of the government and thirteen of his family members on Mintu Road.

Early on the morning of August 16, the soldiers collected the bodies and placed them in rough, makeshift coffins. Except for Bangabandhu‟s body, all the other corpses were hastily buried in the Banani cemetery, without the rituals of an Islamic burial. Late in the afternoon, the body of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was laid to rest beside the graves of his parents in the village where he had been born fifty-five years earlier.

Before leaving Tungipara, the army officers who had helicoptered to the village with the body made sure that soldiers and policemen would stand guard at the grave and allow no one to approach it. It rained in the evening. Trial: The military decided not to court-martial the military officials who masterminded and participated in the coup. A. F. M. Mohitul Islam, a personal assistant to Sheikh Mujib and a survivor of the attack on his house, attempted to file a case against the military officers, but the police slapped him in the face and refused to file the report. The assassination conspirators could not be tried in a court of law because of the Indemnity Act passed by the government under President Khondaker Mushtaq Ahmad. When the Awami League, led by Mujib's daughter Sheikh Hasina, won elections in 1996, the act was repealed. The Bangabandhu murder trial began with the case filing by A. F. M. Mohitul Islam. Colonel (Rtd.) Syed Faruque Rahman was arrested from his Dhaka home, and Colonel (Rtd.) Bazlul Huda was brought back from Bangkok, where he was serving a prison sentence for shoplifting as part of a criminal exchange program between Thailand and Bangladesh. Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed was in active military service when he was arrested. Colonel (Rtd.) Sultan Shahriar

Rashid Khan had been appointed to active diplomatic service by previous Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia, but he returned to Bangladesh and was arrested when he was recalled by the foreign ministry. Colonel (Rtd.) Abdur Rashid and other accused individuals had already left Bangladesh, however. They believed that the upcoming 1996 general election would be an Awami League victory, which would result in the repealing of the Indemnity Act and their subsequent arrest. Colonel (Rtd.) Rashid now reportedly shuttles between Pakistan and Libya. All these men were also involved in Jail Killing Day on 3 November 1975, when four Awami League officials were assassinated. The first trial ended on 8 November 1998. The District and Session Judge of Dhaka, Mohammad Golam Rasul, ordered the death sentence by firing squad to fifteen out of the twenty accused of conspiring in the assassination. The sentences were not carried out immediately, because five of the convicts sought to file appeals in the high court division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The Supreme Court, consisting of Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin and Justice A. B. M. Khairul Haque, who was the former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, gave a divisive verdict. Senior Justice Amin acquitted five out of the original fifteen accused, whereas Junior Justice Haque upheld the lower court's verdict. A verdict from a third judge became necessary. Later, Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim condemned twelve out of original fifteen, including two acquitted in Justice Amin's verdict. One of the convicts, Major (Rtd.) Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe on 2 June 2001. Although the five accused appealed to the appellate division of the Supreme Court, their decision remained pending from August 2001. Several judges refused to hear the case, which meant the government lacked the three judges required to hold a hearing session. On 18 June 2007, one of the conspirators who had been sentenced to death, Major (Rtd.) A. K. M. Mohiuddin Ahmed was extradited to Bangladesh from the United States following a series of failed attempts to gain asylum or permanent residency in the United States. On 7 August 2007, the murder case hearings resumed after a six-year delay. The appellate division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave its verdict on 19 November 2009, after a five-member special bench, headed by Justice Mahammad Tafazzal Islam, spent 29 days hearing the petition filed by the convicted. The appeal of the convicts was rejected, and the death sentence was upheld. Before the verdict, approximately 12,000 extra policemen were deployed to guard strategic buildings, including the Supreme Court building, to prevent disruption of the proceedings by the convicted men's supporters. Nevertheless, they were blamed by the government for a grenade attack on one of the prosecution lawyers in October 2009, although no one has been charged yet.

Captain (Rtd.) Qismet Hashem, Captain (Rtd.) Nazmul Hossain Aanssar, and Major (Rtd.) Abdul Majid was acquitted through the high court division and appellate division verdicts and now live in Canada. Taheruddin Thakur, former Information Minister and one of the suspects was cleared during the Hasina Government, acquitted in the trial, and released. He died naturally in 2009. Conspirators Major (Rtd.) Bazlul Huda, Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd.) Mohiuddin Ahmed, Major (Rtd.) A. K. M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Colonel (Rtd.) Syed Faruque Rahman, and Colonel (Rtd.) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan was executed on 28 January 2010.

Ideological turn-around: Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad assumed the presidency, and Major General Ziaur Rahman became the new Chief of Army Staff. The leading conspirators were all given high government ranks. They were all later toppled by yet another coup led by Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf on 3 November 1975. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad replaced him as the President of Bangladesh. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad replaced the Bangladesh Army chief, Major General K M Shafiullah, with Major General Ziaur Rahman, the deputy army chief. Pakistan welcomes the removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and China and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic ties with Bangladesh. Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf, the chief of general staff, had asked Ziaur Rahman for the chain of command in Bangladesh Army to be restored, Ziaur Rahman proved unwilling or unable to do so. There was discontent in the Army and Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and officers like Colonel Shafaat Jamil and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider planned to remove Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad from power. Khondakar Mostaq Ahmad was himself removed from power through the military coup on 5 November 1975. He was removed from power by Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider. Khaled Mosharraf forced Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad to resign but listed to Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad's request that the assassins of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman be given safe passage out of Bangladesh. Before the assassins left Bangladesh they had killed Awami league leaders and former Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam, former Prime Minister Muhammad

Mansur Ali, former Minister Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman and former Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed who were imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail after the 15 August military coup. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad was replaced by the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem, who became the next President. Rumours were spread in cantonments in Bangladesh that said Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider were Indian agents who would give Bangladesh over to India. Colonel Abu Taher organised soldiers loyal to him and Major General Ziaur Rahman to replace the government. They launched the coup on 7 November 1975. Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider tried to resist the coup but failed, they were killed by the Army soldiers. Colonel Abu Taher had resigned from the Army in September 1972 and joined the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal. Soldiers in the street shouted Nara-e-Takbeer and Sepoy-Janata Zindabad.

Mosharraf himself was killed during a counter-revolt four days later on 7 November, which freed Major General Ziaur Rahman in power and was brought in to bring law and order. Major Syed Faruque Rahman, Rashid, and the other army officers were promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Nevertheless, they were exiled to Libya, China, Rhodesia, Canada, and other countries, although they were given several diplomatic posts in Bangladeshi missions abroad.

Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd.) Syed Faruque Rahman later returned and founded the Bangladesh Freedom Party in 1985 and took part in the presidential election in 1987 against the military ruler Lieutenant General Hussain Mohammad Ershad but lost that election in a landslide. Indemnity Ordnance: To escape the murderers, the self-proclaimed president Khondokar Moshtaque Ahmed (who had been the commerce minister at Bangabandhu‟s cabinet) ruled the infamous Indemnity Ordinance on 26th September 1975. The day was Friday. The ordnance published in „The Bangladesh Gazzette, Published by authority‟, had a signature of Khondakar Moshtaque. Beneath the sign of Moshtaque, there was a signature of MH Rahman, who was at that time being secretary of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Ministry. On 15th August 1975 just after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed, Mushtaque declared himself as president before dawn.

The ordnance has two parts. In the first part, it's said that, whatever happened on 15th August 1975 even if those go against existing laws, no courts along with the supreme one cannot take any case, complaints or no legislative actions can be taken. In the second part, it's said that the people who will be stated as related to that event affirmed by the president will be exempted from any allegations. That means no court case, complaints or legislative actions can be taken against them. After this, another military ruler, Major Zia came to power. He was elected with two-third majority in 2nd parliamentary election under the military rule on 18th February 1979. Then he declared all the ordnances and declarations from 15th August 1975 to 9th April 1979, to be legal through the 5th amendment to the constitution. Khondakar Mushtaque created a flaunt investigation committee to investigate the brutal murder of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members on 15th August 1975 and four national leaders killed in the Dhaka Central Jail on 3rd November on the same year. Later when Ziaur Rahman came to power had withheld all activities of those investigations for those most barbaric murders in the history of Bangladesh and he helped the murderers to flee from the country alongside that he appointed them to diplomatic duties to them, which was mentioned in the report done by the investigation committee in London. This investigative commission was made officially on 18th September 1980 to investigate the reasons which hampered taking legal and justice actions to the alleged murderers of these killings. But at that time for the dis-cooperation of the government and not allowing visa to a member of the commission made this attempt an unsuccessful one. The head of the government at that time was Ziaur Rahman. In the book of Professor Abu Sayeed, „Facts and Documents: Bangabandhu Murder‟ mentioned about forming of this commission – it stated that according to the application of both daughters fo Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, son of Captain Monsur Ali, Mohammad Selim and son of Syed Nazrul Islam, Syed Ashraful Islam this formation of the commission led by Sir Thomas Williams QCMP. This application was hugely supported at many public meetings held in Bangladesh and abroad.

The first meeting to this was held at a committee office at the House of Commons and chaired by Sir Thomas Williams on 18th September 1980. Jeffrey Thomas and a solicitor Abro Rose was also present in that meeting. Besides, it was told to identify alleged officers from the list of army officers who were discussing leaving to Bankok from Bangladesh on 3rd November on 1975. Among the fleeing persons were Lt. Col. Faruque, Lt. Col. Abdur Rashid, Major Shariful Haque (Dalim). Apparently, the leaders of the coup were identified as Lt. Col. Faruqe, Lt. Col. Rashid and Major Shariful Haque Dalim. Earlier, taking in account an interview published of Col. Faruque in the London Sunday Times on 30th August 1976, confessing the killing of Bangabandhu and his family members and the 4 leaders, Amnesty International Mission visited Bangladesh lead by a member of the commission Shawn McBride and while discussing with the president they also mentioned about the jail massacre. They were told that the law will be allowed to let on its own pace. But it was noticed later that, the persons related to the murders and fled from Bangladesh to Bangkok around 3rd November 1975 or around that time were given diplomatic duties. Commission decided upon these facts and realities that, to inspect the obstacles of law and justice on its own pace a member of the commission needs to visit Dhaka. Decided that member of the commission Jeffrey Thomas QC along with an assistant will go to Dhaka to investigate in the fields on 13th January 1981. To this objective, they submitted an application to get a visa to Dhaka through the secretary and solicitor Abro Rose. It was told from the Bangladesh High commission that the visa will be provided timely. When requested to take the opportunity to take the flight of British Airways on that aforesaid date‟s evening, Bangladesh High Commission in London informed that the passport and visa will be returned in the afternoon. In the afternoon when these were asked, it was told the consular department is closed. Later the Bangladesh High Commission in London informed their decision that they are not willing to provide the visa to Jeffrey Thomas to let him visit Dhaka. Upon this denial to the visa, the commission came to this decision that, law and justice are not allowed on its own pace and they alleged Ziaur Rahman‟s government for creating obstacles to all these processes.

To observe the day countrywide with appropriate status and gravity, government and number of political, social and cultural organizations have taken various programs into the schedule.

Legacy: Mujib has been depicted in Bangladeshi currency, Taka and is the namesake of many Bangladesh public institutions. Among politician, Mujib remains a popular figure in Bangladesh. Restoration of his public image awaited the election of an Awami League government in 1996, which was led by his eldest daughter, Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the party. 15 August has since been commemorated as "National Mourning Day".

The country keeps its flags lower to half-mast in this day as a sign of mourning. In 2016, the Awami League government passed a law that criminalized any criticism of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In a 2004 BBC Bengali opinion poll, Mujib was voted as the "Greatest Bengali of All Time". The waistcoat coat that Mujib used to wear during his political campaign is called Mujib Coat in Bangladesh.