A day after he returned to Bangladesh after a 19-year-long self-imposed exile, Tarique Rahman stood before his father's grave at the Zia Udyan in Dhaka and bowed his head. It was his first visit there in nearly 19 years. Surrounded by security, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) placed wreaths, offered prayers, and remained silent for several moments. The moment, his first appearance since 2006, brought the country's attention back to the assassination of former president and army chief Ziaur Rahman.
Ziaur Rahman was killed on May 30, 1981, during an official visit to Chittagong. He had travelled there to address internal disputes within the BNP. He was staying at the Chittagong Circuit House, a government guest residence guarded by army personnel. Shortly before 4 am, a group of mid-ranking army officers moved toward the Circuit House. Armed with 11 submachine guns, three rocket launchers, and three grenade-firing rifles, they launched an attack. Rockets hit the building, blasting holes through the structure and killing several of Zia's guards.
The attackers then entered the residence and searched room by room. Ziaur Rahman tried to leave his room after the assault began. Two officers initially told him they would take him to the cantonment for safety. Moments later, another group arrived. One of the leading conspirators shot Ziaur Rahman at close range with a submachine gun. He continued firing even after the then BNP chief, killing him on the spot. The entire attack lasted less than 20 minutes.
After the killing, the officers returned to the Chittagong Cantonment. They removed Ziaur Rahman's body and those of two guards in a military vehicle. Soon after, Major General Abul Manzoor, the army commander in Chittagong, made radio broadcasts declaring a rebellion, dismissing the army chief in Dhaka, and calling for support from other officers.
The coup attempt failed within hours. Army chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad remained loyal to the government and ordered troops to regain control. Most of the officers involved surrendered. Others were killed while trying to escape. Major General Manzoor was captured a few days later but died in custody.
A military tribunal tried the accused officers within weeks. Twelve army officers were executed in 1981, following trials that lasted less than three weeks.
Reports at the time suggested resentment within the army over transfers, promotions, and growing divisions between officers who had fought in the 1971 Liberation War and those who had returned from Pakistan.
After Ziaur Rahman's death, Vice President Justice Abdus Sattar assumed office as acting president.
Ziaur Rahman rose to national prominence during the 1971 Liberation War, when his radio announcement of independence became known as a defining moment in the country's history. After years of coups and counter-coups, he became army chief and then president in 1977. As president, Zia founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1978, restored multi-party politics, and pushed economic reforms while expanding Bangladesh's foreign ties.
More than four decades later, his legacy endures. His widow, Khaleda Zia, served twice as prime minister, and his son, Tarique Rahman, now leads the party amid fresh political strain.
