Army Rescued Ziaur Rahman in 1975, Not JASAD: M Sakhawat Hossain

Former army officer and former adviser M Sakhawat Hossain has said that the Bangladesh Army rescued then army chief Major General Ziaur Rahman from confinement on November 7, 1975, and that the credit did not belong to JASAD.

He made the remarks at a discussion organised by the Retired Armed Forces Officers Welfare Association (RAOWA) on Saturday (November 7), marking National Revolution and Solidarity Day.

Retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain said JASAD claims that it was responsible for freeing Ziaur Rahman from confinement. However, he rejected that claim, saying Zia was rescued by the then Two Field Regiment Artillery, led by Colonel Mohiuddin. Members of Four Bengal had also tried to rescue him, he added.

Recounting the events of that day, Sakhawat said he went to Two Field at around 6am on November 7 and saw Ziaur Rahman sitting in the unit commander's office. Then Acting Director of Military Operations (DMO), Lieutenant Colonel Nuruddin Khan, was beside him.

About half an hour later, Colonel Taher arrived with members of the Gono Bahini. After speaking with Zia, Taher asked him to accompany them and announce before the soldiers that he would accept their 21-point or 17-point demands. Zia, however, refused. He said he had already addressed the nation on radio and television and declined to go elsewhere.

Sakhawat claimed that if Zia Rahman had been taken outside that day, he would not have returned. That, he said, could have given Colonel Taher and a section of JASAD an opportunity to seize state power according to their plan.

The former adviser also said it remained a mystery why Colonel Huda had entered Dhaka with an entire battalion, the 10 Bengal, during the turbulent period of coups and counter-coups.

Praising Ziaur Rahman, Sakhawat described his honesty and courage as exceptional. He said Zia had calmed unruly soldiers carrying loaded rifles by standing before them at the hockey field. According to Sakhawat, Zia was not driven by a desire for revenge and played a role in reducing divisions between officers who had and had not participated in the Liberation War, building unity within the army and expanding the force.

Sakhawat also alleged that the army's professionalism and ethical standards had been undermined over the past 15 years. He said the army must return to the highest standards of professionalism if the country is to become stronger.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel and Bir Protik recipient Modasser Hossain Khan spoke about what he described as Indian dominance. He said neither India nor any other country could occupy Bangladesh, claiming that the country's 200 million people, including students and the public, were prepared to stand against bullets. However, he warned that attempts might be made to create internal instability to weaken a country.

Other speakers at the discussion included Daily Jugantor Editor and poet Abdul Hai Shikdar, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Md Shahidul Islam, geopolitics researcher and retired Lieutenant General Md Aminul Karim, RAOWA Chairman Brigadier General Abdul Haque, former Jahangirnagar University professor Abdul Latif Masum, defence and military analyst retired Lieutenant Abu Rushd, and retired Major Md Delwar Hossain Khan.