Zia was behind-the-scenes architect of Bangabandhu’s killing: Law minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq has alleged that Ziaur Rahman was the "behind-the-scenes architect" of the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members on August 15, 1975.

"Ziaur Rahman had become the chief of army seven days into the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He (Ziaur) had become the deputy chief of martial law administrator in three months of the killing (of Bangabandhu) and had become the president and the chief of martial law administrator in six months after the killing of Bangabandhu. It can be easily understood from these progresses of Ziaur Rahman that he was the behind-the-scenes architect of the killing of Bangabandhu," the minister said.

Anisul Huq made the comment while speaking as chief discussant at a virtual discussion organised by UK Awami League on the occasion of the National Mourning Day and 45th death anniversary of Bangabandhu on Saturday evening.

Law Minister Anisul Huq, who was also the principal state counsel of Bangabandhu murder case, told the meeting that immediately after becoming president, Ziaur Rahman had made collaborator Shah Azizur Rahman the prime minister and made another collaborator Shamsul Haque the foreign minister of the country in order to completely damage the vision of Bangabandhu.

Even after becoming the prime minister of the country, Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, had made war criminals and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed ministers, he said.

The law minister said the trial of the killing of Bangabandhu would not have started and be completed and the trials of the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 1971 would not take place if AL President Sheikh Hasina were not elected as prime minister in 1996 and if she were not reelected as prime minister in 2008.

"The conspirators are still hatching plans in order to destroy Awami League and Bangladesh," he also said.

Six convicted killers of Bangabandhu have been executed and the government is trying to bring five fugitive killers back to the country to execute the court verdict on them, Minister Anisul added.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, eminent journalist and columnist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Awami League Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nawfel, UK Awami League President Sultan Mahmud Sharif and its General Secretary Syed Sajidur Rahman Faruk also spoke at the discussion, according to a law ministry press release.