Who Were the Beneficiaries of Mujib Murder?
Shakil Sarwar
real beneficiaries of mujbi murder.
A look at the aftermath of Mujib's assassination can easily give the
impression to an unsuspecting foreigner that it was the result of an
internal fued among the power-hungry leaders of Awami League. But we
don't want to interpret it like that way. Just like our liberation was
the result of many injustice done on the Bengalees over a span of 25
years so was the case with Sheikh Mujib. Dissatisfaction over the
mal-administration of Mujib govt. piled up on the minds of people so
much so that they found profound relief at the killing of Sheikh
Mujib.
One, who is not familiar with the history of Bangladesh, finds it hard
to believe that the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on August
15, 1975, did not draw a single procession of protest on the streets
of Bangladesh -- nowhere from Tetulia to Teknaf. No Mujib-lover came
out in public to voice their sorrow, anger or grief either through
print media or public gathering. Kader Siddiqui was the only
exception. Siddiqui, a freedom fighter, fled to India, formed an
insurgency group with the help of RAW and fought against the
Bangladesh Rifles. Rest of the Mujib-worshippers skirted their
Mujib-coats. Not only that, Abdul Malek Ukil, a veteran top ranking
Awami League leader, ex-Speaker of the parliament during the BAKSAL
period, and the unanimously elected-chairman of the revived (in 1976)
Awami League, made a historic comment while on a visit (sent by
President Khandaker Mustaque Ahmed) to London to attend
Intra-Parliamentary Union's 62nd annual convention on the 22nd August,
1975. Branding Mujib regime as the period of 'satan' he commented
unhesitatingly, "The Pharaoh (referring to Mujib) had fallen in
Bangladesh."
Immediately after the assassination of Sheikh Mujib, a ministrial
cabinet was formed on the 15th August. If anybody wants to find out
how much the Awami leaders loved Mujib and how much grief-striken they
were at the death of their beloved Bangabandhu, they can just take a
look at the make-up of that ministrial body. Khandaker Mustaque Ahmed,
former Commerce Minister of Mujib's BAKSAL govt., took oath as the new
president of Bangladesh even before Mujib's dead body had been buried.
The oath ceremony was conducted by the erstwhile acting Chief Justice
Syed A. B. Mahmud. All those who joined the new Ministrial Cabinet
were from Awami League. For example, former vice-president Mahmudullah
was sworned in as a minister. He remained a member of Awami League
until his death in 1999. Among the other Awami League leaders who were
full-fledged ministers of that cabinet were Justice Abu Sayeed
Choudhury (father of Hasina's minister Abul Hasan Choudhury),
Professor Yusuf Ali (Dinajpur), Fonibhusan Majumder (Faridpur),
Manoranjan Dhar (Mymensingh), Abdul Momin, Abdul Mannan, Asaduzzaman
Khan (Dhaka), Dr. Muzaffar Ahmed Choudhury (Noakhali), Sohrab Hossain
(Jessore), Dr. A. R. Mallik (Rajshahi). All of the above, except two,
are deceased by now. The living ministers from that ministry are Abdul
Mannan (Tangail) and Abdul Momin (Netrokona). Both of them are now
presidium members of Awami League and were members of the 1996
National Parliament.
Among the Awami leaders who took oath as Deputy Ministers were Shah
Moazzem Hossain (Dhaka), Dewan Farid Gazi (Sylhet), Taheruddin Thakur
(Comilla) -- now in jail for being an accomplice to Mujib's murder, K.
M. Obaidur Rahman (Faridpur), Motiur Rahman (Rangpur), Nurul Islam
Manju (Barisal) and Professor Nurul Islam Choudhury. On the 20th
August, 1975 five more ministers were sworn in. They were -
Moslemuddin Khan, Dr. Khitischandra Mondol, Riazuddin Ahmad (Bhola
Mian), Syed Altaf Hossain and Mominuddin Ahmad. On the 24th August,
1975 General (Retd) M. A. G. Osmani joined as the defense advisor to
President Mustaque. Besides, former army chief Safiullah (now a Awami
League leader) expressed his allegiance to Khandoker Mustaque's govt.
Awami League presidium member Mohiuddin Ahmad was sent as a special
envoy to Moscow by President Mustaque to gain support from Moscow for
his new govt. Deputy Speaker Baitullah and Awami League leader Maulana
Abdur Rashid Tarkabaghis carried out important duties under President
Mustaque. Veracity of all these statements can be found by checking
with the archives of Bangladesh TV and Radio. Today's
Mujib-worshippers and opportunists, who consider Mujib as the Father
of the Nation, preferred to keep their mouths shut at that time. To
pick up literary allowance paychecks, opportunists like essayist
Shawkat Osman and poetess Sufia Kamal shamelessly went to see the then
minister Taheruddin Thakur at his office (Room No. 171 on the second
floor of the Secretariate) on the 30th August, 1975 at 11AM. (Source:
'Bangladesh 1975' by Syed Ali Ahsan). Death is always tragic. But the
death of Sheikh Mujib brought jubilations among the vast majority of
the people of Bangladesh at that time. And it is not too hard to
figure out the reason if we review the events of 1972-75 period.