Hussain Muhammad Ershad

"Ershad" redirects here. For other uses, see Ershad (disambiguation).

Lieutenant General
Hussain Muhammad Ershad
হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদ
Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1986
9th President of Bangladesh
In office
11 December 1983 – 6 December 1990
Prime MinisterAtaur Rahman Khan
Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury
Moudud Ahmed
Kazi Zafar Ahmed
Vice PresidentA. K. M. Nurul Islam
Moudud Ahmed
Preceded byA. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury
Succeeded byShahabuddin Ahmed (acting)
6th Leader of the Opposition
In office
3 January 2019 – 14 July 2019
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byRowshan Ershad
Succeeded byRowshan Ershad
4th Chief of Army Staff
In office
1 December 1978[1] – 30 August 1986
PresidentZiaur Rahman
Abdus Sattar
A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury
Himself
Prime MinisterMashiur Rahman (Acting)
Shah Azizur Rahman
Ataur Rahman Khan
Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury
Preceded byZiaur Rahman
Succeeded byAtiqur Rahman
Special Envoy of Prime Minister of Bangladesh
In office
25 January 2014 – 9 December 2018
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded bySaber Hossain Chowdhury
Personal details
Born(1930-02-01)1 February 1930
Dinhata, Cooch Behar, British India
Died14 July 2019(2019-07-14) (aged 89)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Political partyJatiya Party (E)
Spouses
​
(m. 1956)​
Bidisha Siddique Ershad
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2005)​
Children
Relatives
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
Officers Training School, Kohat, Pakistan
Command and Staff College, Quetta, Pakistan
ProfessionMilitary officer, politician
Awards
  • UN Population Award
  • UN Environment Award
  • Global Officials of Dignity Award
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan (before 1971)
 Bangladesh
Branch/service Pakistan Army
 Bangladesh Army
Years of service1952–1986
Rank
UnitEast Bengal Regiment
Commands
Battles/warsChittagong Hill Tracts Conflict

Hussain Muhammad Ershad[a] (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the president of Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990.[2]

He seized power as head of the army during a bloodless coup against President Abdus Sattar on 24 March 1982 (by imposing martial law and suspending the Constitution). He declared himself President in 1983,[3] and subsequently won the controversial[4] 1986 Bangladeshi presidential election. Despite claims to have legitimately won the 1986 election, many consider his regime as an era of military dictatorship.[b] Ershad served in the Presidential office until 1990, when he was forced to resign following a popular pro-democracy mass uprising led by Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. His government was a military dictatorship.[c] Ershad founded the Jatiya Party in 1986 and became a Member of Parliament for that party in the constituency of Rangpur-3 in 1991, with successful re-election in all subsequent general elections. He was the longest serving male head of government in Bangladeshi history.

During his tenure, Ershad pursued devolution reforms, privatization of nationalised industries; the expansion of the national highway system; and the founding of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; he committed his nation's forces as an ally to the United States in the Gulf War. He contributed to developments in infrastructure and socio-economic growth, divesting key nationalised industries. In 1989, Ershad pushed parliament to make Islam the state religion, in a sharp departure from Bangladesh's original secular constitution.[9]

  1. ^ Mascarenhas, Anthony (1986). Bangladesh: A Legacy of Blood. Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-39420-X.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference bpedia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Stevens, William K. (12 December 1983). "Bangladesh Leader in Military Regime Assumes Presidency". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  4. ^ Weisman, Steven R.; Times, Special To the New York (17 October 1986). "Bangladesh Chief Claims Vote Victory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Ershad: We have no specific demand at dialogue with PM". Dhaka Tribune. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Ershad shows Tk 2.8m cash, says wife Raushon has Tk 262m in election affidavit". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  7. ^ a b Maniruzzaman, Talukder (1992). "The Fall of the Military Dictator: 1991 Elections and the Prospect of Civilian Rule in Bangladesh". Pacific Affairs. 65 (2): 203–224. doi:10.2307/2760169. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 2760169.
  8. ^ "Hussein Mohammed Ershad, former Bangladeshi military dictator, dies at 89". Washington Post. 15 July 2019. ISSN 0190-8286.
  9. ^ Bergman, David (28 March 2016). "Bangladesh court upholds Islam as religion of the state". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024.


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