How founding father’s assassination turned Bangladesh media overnight on its head

The assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a military putsch on Aug 15, 1975 turned the role of newspapers in Bangladesh on its head in a matter of a day.

Abdullah Alifbdnews24.com
Published : 15 August 2018, 04:41 PM
Updated : 16 August 2018, 03:51 PM

In writer-activist Shahriar Kabir’s words, the newspapers of the time did not risk being marked as dissenters by the usurpers of power during martial law.

The Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujib, then President of the new republic, was killed along with most of his family by a group of disgruntled army officers at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka on this day 43 years ago.

Khandakar Mushtaque Ahmed took charge and martial law was clamped. Mushtaque made Ziaur Rahman army chief after 10 more days and the way to try the killers of the independence architect was blocked through passage of the Indemnity Act.

The Daily Ittefaq and three other newspapers were being published nationally at the time after Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League or BKSAL was founded through the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution in January, 1975.

The newspapers had been carrying news on Bangabandhu and his government but that changed quickly after his murder. Not even the news of the bloody massacre was in the headlines. Instead, some ran stories hailing the new government. News of the military coup and takeover was hidden from the public as well.

Before Bangabandhu’s assassination

Bangabandhu was killed early in the morning by which time the newspapers had already gone to the press. As a result, most of the stories were as usual on Bangabandhu; some lauding his government. The news of army takeover and Mushtaque taking charge were published the following day, Aug 16.

On and before Aug 15, the front pages of the newspapers were different. The headline of the six-column lead story of the Dainik Bangla, edited by Ehtesham Haider Choudhury, was “Second revolution is for financial freedom” on Aug 14. It was on the remarks of Korban Ali, an Awami League leader at the time, made at a BKSAL programme.

An Observer report before Bangabandhu's assassination

The Bangladesh Observer on Aug 15, 1975

The largest circulated English newspaper The Bangladesh Observer, edited by Obaidul Haque, carried a report on Awami League leader Muhammad Mansur Ali’s call upon the engineers to use their skills to speed up development.

It also ran separate stories on comments by Tofail Ahmed and BKSAL secretaries Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, Zillur Rahman and Abdur Razzak at a Bangabhaban programme.

On Aug 15, the Observer’s six-column top story read: “Bangobandhu visits DU today/Hearty welcome will be accorded”. The headline of another news was, “Korean envoy lauds leadership of Bangobandhu”.

The lead news was on the Dhaka University’s arrangements to welcome Bangabandhu to its convocation, which was cancelled after the killing of the independence hero.

Ittefaq on Aug 15, 1975

Ittefaq also made the convocation its top story. Both the newspapers published supplements on the occasion.

Dainik Bangla on Aug 15 made the lead story on the then industries minister AHM Kamaruzzaman’s comment that Bangladesh needed to generate jobs in the villages.

After Bangabandhu’s assassination

The killings of Bangabandhu and other members of the family could not make the headline in the Daily Ittefaq on the following day. The story was surprisingly the same for the other media.

Ittefaq, the best-selling Bangla newspaper of the day, prioritised the army takeover over the killings in its Aug 16 edition.

Ittefaq on Aug 16, 1975

Its six-column lead headline screamed: "Miltary takes power under Khandakar Mushtaque's leadership".

And the lead read, "The Bangladesh armed forces led by President Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed took over the power in greater interests by toppling former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman yesterday morning."

"During the takeover, former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed in his home," it went on.

Next to the lead, there was a two-column editorial headlined "Historic New Journey".

Nurul Islam Patwary was editor of the newspaper at the time and Asafuddowla Reza news editor.

Daily Ittefaq, edited by Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia, was known to be a mouthpiece of the Awami League before independence.

The other headlines on the first page of that day's edition of the newspaper included "Vice president, 10 ministers and 6 state ministers take oath", "Return of up to Tk 8,000 of invalid currency", "Takeover in the greater interest of nation", "US to continue normal diplomatic operations", "People heave a sigh of relief", "Felicitations by several quarters", "Status of foreign embassies to remain unaffected", and "BA Siddique becomes Red Cross Chairman".

Dainik Bangla on Aug 16, 1975

The headline of the eight-column lead story of Dainik Bangla was: "Khandaker Mushtaque new President", with the shoulder: "Sheikh Mujib assassinated: Martial law and curfew declared: Armed forces express loyalty".

The headline of its editorial on the front page was "A Historic Step".

The top daily also reported on the front page: "No compromise with corruption", "Alliance-free policy will be followed: President", "10 ministers and 6 state ministers take oath", "US to continue diplomatic operations with new govt", "Up to Tk 8,000 of invalid Tk 100 currencies will be refunded", and "Pakistan decides to give recognition".

Like Ittefaq, Dainik Bangla also published Khandaker Mushtaque's photo along with the lead story.

The Bangladesh Times on Aug 16, 1975

The Bangladesh Times’ eight-column lead story read: "Mushtaque Assumes Presidency". The kicker was: "Martial Law proclaimed in the country: Mujib killed".

In its op-ed section - 'Our Comments' - a write-up was headlined: "On the Threshold of the New Era".

The other headlines on the front page of the newspaper edited by Abdul Ghani Hazari included: "People thank Armed Forces", "Mujib's picture's removed", "US ready for normal ties", "Vice-President, ten Ministers, six State Ministers sworn in", "Values have to be rehabilitated", and "Help make Bangladesh a prosperous country".

Photo of Mushtaque taking oath was run with the lead story.

The Bangladesh Observer on Aug 16, 1975

The Bangladesh Observer's top headline was "Mushtaque becomes President".

The shoulder read: "Armed Forces take over: Martial Law proclaimed: Curfew imposed", while the kicker was: "Mujib killed: Situation remains calm".

The eight-column story also contained a photo of Mushtaque being sworn in.

The editorial was headlined "Historical Necessity", flanked by the reports with headlines: "Special prayers" and "Mushtaque calls for co-operation".

The other stories were "People hail take-over", Pakistan accords recognition", "Inviolability of foreign missions assured", "Justice must be established: President/Work hard to improve condition quickly", US ready to conduct normal diplomatic business", and Curfew relaxed for Juma prayers".

Hailing the Mushtaque administration

The newspapers published stories in support of Mushtaque’s illegitimate regime in the next few weeks after Bangabandhu’s killing, but blacked out the news of harassment of the people close to Bangabandhu.

An Observer report on Aug 16, 1975

Dainik Bangla published a report on the army-installed government being recognised by some countries on Aug 17.

A report headlined “The people’s hearty congratulations” read, “Enthusiastic congratulations by people from all walks of life continue to pour in for the new government led by President Khandaker Mushtaque Ahmed and the armed forces for freeing the country from the quarter with vested interests. They have expressed their full confidence in and loyalty to the new government.”

It ran a two-line report on Bangabandhu’s burial headlined: “Former president buried with full honour." Citing a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha report that quoted a government spokesperson, it said, “Former president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s body was flown to his village home at Tungipara in Faridpur and he was buried at their family graveyard with full honour.”

Ittefaq ran a one-liner on the burial of Bangabandhu and the members of his family headlined, “Deceased president buried in his village with full honour”.

“The body of deceased president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was flown to his ancestral village Tungipara (Faridpur) and buried at their family graveyard with full honour yesterday,” it read.

It prominently published a report - “King Khaled and President Nemeiri congratulate President Mushtaque: Recognition from Saudi Arabia and Sudan”.

The Bangladesh Observer on Aug 17, 1975

The Bangladesh Observer on Aug 20, 1975

The Observer also gave importance to the news of recognition by Saudia Arabia and Sudan and published a 24-word story on Bangabandhu’s burial.

Besides stories in support of the Mushtaque government, it carried a report that around 200 Bengalis in London had torched Bangabandhu’s photo.

It made reports claiming the situation was normal and the change of power had been hailed abroad.

The Bangladesh Observer editorial on Aug 16, 1975

Dainik Bangla continued with headlines like “People continue full support for new government”, “Life normal in different parts”, “Communication and transport normal”, “Yemen’s recognition: Recent change lauded abroad”, “People of all walks of life continue congratulations” in the remaining days of August.

In an article titled “No room for confusion was left”, the newspaper said, “The change in the nation’s life must be evaluated in light of prism-like transparent mirror…The new government has come to power with the particular aim of wiping away the nation’s misery for historic necessity.”     

Dainik Bangla editorial on Aug 16, 1975

Dainik Bangla on Aug 17, 1975

After a long time, it published a story on four influential Awami League leaders and well-wishers of Bangabandhu, but of their detention – “26 detained for amassing illegal wealth”.

In the report published on Aug 24, Dainik Bangla said, “The following people were arrested on Saturday (Aug 23) under the Martial Law Regulations on charges of amassing huge properties inconsistent with their known source of income through corruption and criminal activities, and grabbing properties through nepotism and abuse of power.” 

Ittefaq on Aug 17, 1975

Ittefaq ran similar reports in the second half of August.

“Clearly, the new government expects active support of political activists of all levels. So no-one should have any doubt about this matter. The president in his speech clearly made the call upon honest and patriotic citizens for active cooperation,” it said in a report on Aug 21.

Censorship

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee President Shahriar Kabir was an assistant editor of the weekly Bichitra in 1975.

He said martial law determined the role of the media after Bangabandhu’s assassination. 

“There is no freedom of expression or assembly or movement during martial law. The Constitution was limited at the time, which means the media had no freedom” he told bdnews24.com.      

“News was censored by the ISPR (military’s media wing). The media had to publish what they sent,” he added.  

The media owners could have taken the risk, but they preferred not to, according to Shahriar.

“Those who had not hesitated to kill Bangabandhu or Nazrul (Syed Nazrul Islam) could kill anyone. That’s why most of the papers became pro-Mushtaque at the time.

“Most-circulated Ittefaq belonged to Mainul Hosein who was Mushtaque’s right hand. Dainik Bangla was owned by an anti-Awami League trust,” he added.       

About the total media blackout of one of the worst political massacres in world history, he said, “It was a dark chapter for the media, for the entire nation.

“Only a little protest was made by the university students, but the media could not do that. There was also resistance in literature. Some writers and poets protested through their works, but those did not made their way to the mainstream media.

“The media had enjoyed more freedom during Bangabandhu’s government. They were able to publish reports on different types of corruption,” he added.

Dr Golam Rahman, a former professor of journalism at the Dhaka University and media researcher, understands the stance of the newspapers at that time.

"Everything was controlled then. A coup had taken place. Bangabandhu was murdered with his family. An unstable situation was prevailing in the country. Can the press be free in that situation?

“It’s only natural that newspapers had such a policy in an intimidating and frightening environment. They did what the government wanted them to," he said, speaking to bdnews24.com.

"It is normal for the press to play such a role after the political changeover. Self-censorship was there. People had lost their voice, they couldn’t speak out against (the bloodletting), so did the press. 

Continued Dr Rahman: “However, the news of Bangabandhu's assassination was widely published in the international media.  During the time, the army was running the country even though Mushtaque was president. So, the press could not be independent.

"The change in the political landscape impacts the press. It was a dark chapter but it is better to describe it as dark times.”

Journalist Syed Badrul Ahsan was a university student when Bangladesh went topsy-turvy due to the series of events in 1975 but keenly followed those reported in the media.

Major Dalim had been announcing in Bangladesh Betar or the national radio since the morning of Aug 15 that martial law had been imposed, he recalled.

Although there was no formal declaration of censorship on newspapers, the media was influenced by Dalim’s announcement, commented Badrul Ahsan, Editor-in-Charge of Asian Age.

“Taher Uddin Thakur, state minister for information in the Bangabandhu’s government, was loyal to him (Bangabandhu); but he, too, was involved in the conspiracy by Khandaker Mushtaque. There were other people involved in the conspiracy.

“Taher went to the radio office and dictated what was to be broadcast. He gave directives to newspapers on the contents to publish. Taher himself was a journalist in Ittefaq before he became a state minister.

“There was no official directive on the censorship but write-ups were sent from Taher’s office. It was Taher who fed the newspapers with phrases like ‘Mushtaque receives power’ and not ‘Mushtaque usurps power’; ‘Mujib dead’ but no news on why or how he died. He used to provide false news.”

There was a photograph of the cabinet meeting published in a newspaper after Bangabandhu’s assassination that showed no anxiety or tension on the faces of Mushtaque’s cabinet members although they were ministers in Bangabandhu’s cabinet as well. That photograph was never found afterwards, said Badrul Ahsan, also a political commentator.

“It is quite normal; it can be called fear psychosis. Everyone got scared after August 15. Newspapers shifted their roles. Journalists showed no courage; they wrote carefully. This was a natural phenomenon,” he said, explaining the sudden shift in media’s role.

“Everyone was panicked by the manner in which the Father of the Nation was assassinated. In fact, we as a nation have failed. The media has always played such a dubious role. I know many journalists who are still alive; they joined BKSAL after it emerged, then went on to join the Mushtaque government. Now they support Sheikh Hasina.”