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| Bangladesh |
| Zia was involved in Bangabandhu killing: Lifschultz |
| 2011-03-15 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] US journalist and writer Lawrence Lifschultz on Monday told the High Court that Ziaur Rahman was indirectly involved in the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Zia's the father of Khaleda Zia, the once (actually several) and future PM. Mujib was the driver of the revolution against Pakistain, the national hero. His murder was followed by Zia becoming chief of the army staff and ultimately taking power after a series of coups and counter coups "to restore order." Bangla then set about molding itself more in the image of its parent state, pushing Islam and taking an anti-India political stance. This has become clear from the statements of Col Farooq Rahman and Col Abdur Rashid, convicted killers of Bangabandhu, written by Anthony Mascarenhas in his book Bangladesh A Legacy of Blood, he said. He said Ziaur Rahman was in the shadow of the whole episode of August 15, 1975, because he was very much one of the main players of the game. In reply to a question from the HC, Lifschultz said Ziaur Rahman could have stopped the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, because he (Zia) knew the plot to kill him. Zia was a complicated man and was the main beneficiary of the killing of Bangabandhu, he said, adding that Zia was responsible for killing many freedom fighters including army official Khaled Mosharaf. The Pulitzer Prize winner, who had covered the trial of Col Abu Taher in 1976, placed the statement before the HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain. The bench is hearing a writ petition that challenged the martial law regulation under which the military tribunal was formed and Taher was sentenced to death. Earlier January 20, the HC bench requested Lifschultz to appear before it to place his statement on the trial and execution of Taher. On January 31 Lifschultz had sent a written statement to the HC bench through the attorney general's office saying that Zia made the decision of Taher's execution before the formation of the military tribunal that sentenced Taher to death. Manzur, then high-ranking military officer, knew with absolute certainty that Zia had decided to have Taher hanged before the "so-called trial" began, Lifschultz said in the statement. |
| Posted by:Fred |