Opposition leader of Parliament, chairman of the Jatiya Party, former president and military strongman, Hussain Mohammad Ershad has died. He died at the Combined Military Hospital on Sunday (Jul 14) while undergoing treatment. He was 89.
Jatiya Party presidium member Sunil Shuvo Roy has said: “He died at CMH around 7:45 am.”
Ershad had been suffering from ailments for the last eight months; before the national election last December, he received treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. Though he was a candidate at the election, he did not take part in the hustings.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and many others have expressed grief at the death of Ershad.
H M Ershad began his career with the Pakistan Army. However, he is better known as a politician. As per the Jatiya Party website, he was born on Jan 1, 1930 in Rangpur, though other sources claim that he was born in Koachbihar at the residence of his maternal uncle.
In his autobiography, he wrote that he was born in Rangpur. In personal life, he married twice – his first wife is Raushon Ershad, currently the deputy leader of opposition at Parliament. Later, he married and divorced Bidisha.
With Bidisha, he has a son called Eric. His other children are Jebin, Saad and Alam.
His father, Mokbul Hossain, was a lawyer in Rangpur and his mother’s name is Majida Khatun. He was also a prolific poet and wrote many songs.
Jatiya Party website says he completed his graduation from University of Dhaka and then got commissioned in the Pakistan Army as an officer.
The website claims, In 1969, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and during the liberation war, was stuck in West Pakistan.
He repatriated in 1973 and was appointed Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army followed by Brigadier and Major General in 1975. In 1978, he was made the head of the armed forces and, in 1979, was promoted to Lieutenant General.
Political analyst and University of Dhaka faculty, Anwar Hossain, said: “In 1971, Ershad spent eight months in his home and then once his holiday was over, returned to West Pakistan because he was unsure of the success of the liberation movement.”
On Apr 24, 1982, Ershad usurped as the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) by removing the elected government of President Abdus Sattar through a coup, and three days later he installed Justice Abul Fazl Mohammad Ahsanuddin Chowdhury as the President.
Later, Ershad assumed the country’s Presidency in Dec 1983.
While in power, Ershad improved infrastructure, gave religious incentives and constructed roads.
As per Jatiya Party website, Ershad declared the formation of Jatiya Party on Jan 1, 1986 and, in the elections held in October 1986, was elected president for five years.
While in power, he was forced to resign in the face of a mass uprising on Dec 6, 1990.
In 1991, Ershad under arrest and contesting from prison, won five seats from Rangpur. In 1991 BNP won, came to power and lodged several corruption cases against Ershad. In these cases, he was in prison till 1997.
Ershad again won five seats in 1996 elections and this time, AL came to power. He was freed on bail on Jan 9, 1997. But his parliament seats were cancelled since he was sentenced by the court.
The Jaitya Party broke into three factions in 2000 though he always retained control of the main section of the party.
In 2001, Jatiya Party won 14 seats at the eighth parliamentary election; in 2006, he went into the grand alliance led by AL; in 2008, at the 9th parliamentary election, his party won 27 seats, in 2014, 10th elections, it rose to 35. In the last election he won from Rangpur-3.
However, he became a significant factor in Bangladeshi politics and took part in 2014 polls in a dramatic fashion.
As main opposition party, BNP boycotted the polls and Jatiya Party led by Ershad became the parliamentary opposition.
Until his death he was the leader of the opposition in parliament.
