Abu Taher
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2015) |
Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal | |
---|---|
Spouse | Lutfa Taher[1] |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | M. Anwar Hossain[2] (brother) |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Bangladesh Pakistan (before 1971) |
Service/ | Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army |
Years of service | 1962-1972 |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Unit | Special Service Group East Bengal Regiment |
Commands held |
|
Battles/wars | Second Siege of Dhaka |
Awards | Bir Uttom[3][4][5] Maroon Parachute Wing |
Abu Taher (
He was responsible for the
Early life and education
Abu Taher was born in
Military career
Taher received his Commission in 1962 as a second lieutenant in the Pakistan Army. He joined the elite Pakistan
Bangladesh War of Independence
Towards the end of August 1971,
Post-war activities
Following his return, Taher was reinstated into the Bangladesh Army in April for effective retirement following administrative procedure. He was retired with a legacy entitlement rank of Lieutenant Colonel and hence is widely known as Colonel Taher.[5]
Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal
Due to his left-leaning communist ideas of governance he joined the
The
15 August 1975 Coup
Abu Taher welcomed the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, remarking,
They've made a big mistake. They shouldn't have allowed Sheikh Mujib's burial. Now a shrine will be built there. His body should have been thrown into the Bay of Bengal.[8][17]
It was known that
3 November 1975 Coup
After the 15 August coup, the chain of command in the Bangladesh Army was disrupted, as the majors involved in Sheikh Mujib's assassination 'began acting like generals'.[18] General Khaled Mosharraf urged General Ziaur Rahman to restore the chain of command, which he was either unwilling or unable to do. As a result, Khaled Mosharraf launched the 3 November coup, ousting Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and placing Zia under house arrest. Right before Zia was arrested, he reportedly made a phone call to Taher, urging him to save him.[18] Every night between 4 and 6 November, secret meetings of enlisted men and non-commissioned officers were held under Taher's leadership. These troops belonged to Biplobi Shainik Sangstha (Revolutionary Soldier's Organisation), which was a 'socialist and egalitarian' group which clandestinely existed within the Bangladesh Army.[19][18] At these meetings, they finalised plans to organise an uprising of soldiers and civilians and free Zia from imprisonment.
7 November 1975 Coup
The coup was launched during the early hours of 7 November in Dhaka Cantonment and soon spread to other areas, including Rangpur and Chittagong.[18] Crowds poured into the streets of Dhaka to support the soldiers and shouted slogans, such as 'The people and soldiers have united'. Ziaur Rahman was freed from house arrest by soldiers and taken to the headquarters of the 2nd Field Artillery regiment, where he met Taher. Witnesses claim that Zia embraced Taher and thanked him for saving his life. [18]
Trial and execution
Once Ziaur Rahman regained control of the army, he realized that the soldiers' mutiny had to be suppressed if discipline was to be restored.
High Court ruling
On 22 March 2011, the High Court overturned the previous judgement that authorised Taher's execution by a military tribunal while the nation was under martial law. The military court judgement was declared illegal.[10] The court observed Taher's execution had happened according to Major General Zia's plan.[9]
See also
- Bangladesh Forces
References
- ^ আজ আমি আনন্দিত, আমি গর্বিত : লুৎফা তাহের. banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Colonel Taher's unfinished revolution". 31 January 2022.
- ^ Bangladesh Gazette of 15 December, 1973; Ministry of Liberation War Affairs
- ^ a b Habib, Haroon. "Two epoch-making verdicts". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Hossain, Md Anwar (2012). "Taher, Lieutenant Colonel Abu". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ a b "Zia revived Razakars: Inu". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ISBN 9781610692861.
- ^ a b c Ahsan, Syed Badrul (7 July 2015). "Bourgeois dreams of socialist revolution". The Daily Observer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
- ^ a b Niloy, Suliman. "'Zia staged trial to kill Col Taher'". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ a b "HC declares Taher trial illegal" Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine bdnews24.com
- ^ a b "Two Giants". The Daily Star. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "Nerakona: Lutfa Taher MP, spouse of sector commander late Col Abu Taher and JSD (Inu) central leader Mukllesur Rahman Muktadir addressing the biennial conference of JSD (Inu), Netrakona disrict unit at local public hall yesterday". The New Nation. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Taher execution an outright murder: HC". The Daily Star. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "Kamalpur, Phulbari tasted freedom on this day in '71". The Daily Star. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ "History of Jatiya Samajtantric Dal". Dhaka Informatix. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ Hossain, Kazi Mobarak (13 March 2016). "Hasanul Haq Inu's JaSoD splits as he names Shirin general secretary". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Who Said What After August 1 5". The Daily Star. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
- ^ OCLC 471667979.
- OCLC 242251870.
- ^ Hossain, Kazi Mobarak (13 March 2016). "Hasanul Haq Inu's JaSoD splits as he names Shirin general secretary". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ^ a b Manik, Julfikar Ali (25 August 2010). "5th amendment verdict paves way for justice". The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ISBN 978-1-60486-488-5.
- ^ "Taher's execution a cold-blooded assassination: HC". Dhaka Tribune. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2023.