Why Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda often visited Bangabandhu’s house, Hasina asks

Ziaur Rahman and his wife Khaleda Zia would often visir the residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before he was assassinated with most of his family, Sheikh Hasina has said as she questioned the couple’s motive behind those visits.

Prime Minister Hasina, Bangabandhu’s daughter who survived the massacre, believes Zia was made president later because of his ‘direct involvement’ in the assassination of the nation’s founding father on Aug 15, 1975.

“I don’t remember any month when Major Zia and his wife did not come to our house. Was there a conspiracy behind the frequent visits?” she asked at a National Mourning Day event organised by the Awami League in Dhaka on Thursday.  

Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana escaped one of the worst massacres in global politics as they were abroad.   

Major Shariful Haque Dalim, one of the self-proclaimed Bangabandhu killers who announced the assassination on radio on the following day, also visited the house on Road No. 32 at Dhanmondi ‘almost every day’, according to Hasina.

Zia, then the deputy chief of army, came to power following a series of events following the killing of the nation’s independence architect.

The president and army chief was himself assassinated in a failed coup in Chattogram on May 30, 1981.

It was Bangabandhu who promoted Zia from major to major general, Hasina recalled.

“If you search for connections how Zia became president, I would say he had worked as an agent because he was directly involved with the Aug 15 killings,” she said.

She also criticised the admirers of Zia who call him “the creator of multiparty democracy in Bangladesh”.

“How there can be democracy in martial law after usurping the power by violating the constitution?” she asked.

It was Bangabandhu who promoted Zia from major to major general, Hasina recalled.

“If you look for connections as to how Zia became president, I would say he had worked as an agent because he was directly involved with the August 15 killings,” she said.

She also criticised the admirers of Bangladesh's first military ruler, who call him “the founder of multiparty democracy in Bangladesh”.

“How can there be democracy during martial law rule after the power was usruped by violating the Constitution?” she asked.