The wheels of justice have finally begun to turn. Decades after the tragic happenings of November 1975, legalities are being taken recourse to in order to probe the issue of what happened on the seventh day of the month in that year and who were responsible for the murder of three senior military officers, all of them brave Freedom Fighters. All these years, uncomfortable silence on the killings has prevailed. Now circumstances could begin to change through a search for the truth.
Naheed Ezaher Khan, a lawmaker from reserved women's seat-5, has filed a case against Maj (Retd) Mohammad Abdul Jalil and 20-25 others for the murder of her father Col Khandaker Nazmul Huda Bir Bikram on November 7, 1975.
She has stated that late president and BNP founder General Ziaur Rahman gave the order for the murder. Two other senior army officers -- Major General Khaled Musharraf Bir Uttam and Colonel ATM Haider Bir Uttam -- were also killed on the day.
According to the case statement, Maj (Retd) Jalil and his associates killed Col Huda sometime between 4am and 8am.
Utpal Barua, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, said yesterday that the police are investigating the case, filed on Wednesday.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rashidul Alam yesterday set June 12 for the submission of the probe report in the case.
"My father, Col Nazmul Huda, was murdered on November 7, 1975. I was five years old and my elder brother was eight at the time. My father was killed by some misguided members of the Bangladesh Army on the parliament premises while serving as the 72 Special Commander of the Bangladesh Army in Rangpur.
“Along with him, two other sector commanders, Major General Khaled Musharraf Bir Uttam and Colonel ATM Haider Bir Uttam, were killed,” she told Bangla Tribune.
The lawmaker continued: “In our investigation, we have come to know that then-army chief General Ziaur Rahman and Jasod leader Lt Col (Retd) Abu Taher ordered the officers, JCOs and soldiers of the 10 East Bengal Regiment to carry out the killings in a coordinated and cold manner. Lt Col Siraj (then captain) and Major Muktadir (then captain and later former chairman of Petrobangla) were present at the spot.
“I also learned that Major (Retd) Mohammad Asaduzzaman along with the 10 East Bengal Regiment officers, JCOs and soldiers charged bayonets at the three army officers to confirm their deaths.”
Naheed demanded justice for the killing of her father and the two brave Freedom Fighters.
“A detailed investigation into the murder should be carried out and the culprits should be prosecuted immediately,” she added.
After the assassination of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15 and four national leaders on November 3, chief of general staff Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf in cooperation with Col Shafaat Jamil removed Zia from the position of army chief on November 4.
As Khaled Musharraf stormed in, he arrested Zia and the killers of Bangabandhu. Taking over as chief of army staff and promoted to major general, he initiated the formation of a military council. Then president Khandker Moshtaq resigned on November 6, with Chief Justice ASM Sayem sworn in as the new president on the same day. President Sayem promptly dissolved parliament.
Before Khaled Musharraf could establish control over the army, he found himself in an embattled state in the face of a counter-coup involving troops backed by Zia, Taher and Jasod, and was killed on November 7.
Earlier on the day, Col Abu Taher freed Zia, who treated him like a close aide, and also drafted the radio broadcasts announcing Zia's restoration on November 7. But Col Taher was arrested on November 24 and was hanged in July 1976 after a controversial court martial.
