Khandaker Abdur Rashid
Khandaker Abdur Rashid | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 6, 1946 |
| Died | Chhaygharia, Chandina, Comilla, Province of Bengal, British India (now part of Bangladesh) |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan (Before 1971) Bangladesh |
| Service/ |  Pakistan Army Bangladesh Army |
| Years of service | 1967-1976 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel (Dismissed) |
| Unit | Regiment of Artillery |
| Commands |
|
| Known for | Assassination of Sheikh Mujib |
Khandaker Abdur Rashid is a retired Bangladeshi Army officer who was involved in the assassination of the first president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[1][2] He is also a veteran of the Bangladesh War of Independence who fought against the Pakistani occupation forces for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 as a captain under the Z Force of Major Ziaur Rahman.
Biography
[edit]
Khandaker Abdur Rashid was born on December 6, 1946 in the village of Chhaygharia (ছয়ঘরিয়া) under the Chandina Upazila of the Comilla district of the then Bengal Province of British India. Within eight months after his birth, his homeland in East Bengal became part of the newly formed state of Pakistan through the partion of Bengal in 1947. His father was a school teacher in his home village. Later he had graduated from the University of Dhaka with a degree in Social Science. He joined the Pakistan army after the Indo-Pak War of 1965 and later, as a Bengali captain, he defected during the start of Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971. Thus, he was a freedom fighter. Despite having a similarity in family name, the only relation between Abdur Rashid and Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed was their common birth district. Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed became the president of Bangladesh after the assassination of Sheikh Mujib.[3] Rashid was a major at the time of the 15 August 1975 coup and assassination of Sheikh Mujib. He was part of the team that raided the armory of the 2nd Field Artillery at 11:30 pm just before the early hours of August 15 to use the weapons in the coup. He was maintaining contact with Moshtaque throughout the time. The conspirators held several meetings at his residence in Dhaka cantonment.[4] He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after the assassination. He returned to Dhaka during the regime of Hussain Mohammad Ershad. He formed Bangladesh Freedom Party with Syed Faruque Rahman. He was elected to parliament in the 15 February 1996 general election from Comilla-6, which was discredited.[5] Faruque was his brother in law.[6]
He was convicted and sentenced to death in absentia for the assassination of Sheikh Mujib. He lives in the United States as of 2000.[7] In 2016 the government of Bangladesh passed a law that allowed for the seizure of the properties of those convicted in the killing of Sheikh Mujib. Abdur Rashid's shares in Kushtia based Jubilee Bank were ordered to be seized by Bangladesh Bank.[8] His daughter Mehnaz Rashid is leader of the Freedom Party and was arrested in 2009 by Bangladesh police.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Extradition effort continues for six killers". Dhaka Tribune. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Bangabandhu killing: Anisul for commission to find conspirators". The Daily Star. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "The conspiracy behind the assassination of Bangabandhu". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Shame darker than the night". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Where are they?". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Scream of the assassin". Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Four could not even be traced". The Daily Star. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "BB asked to confiscate bank shares of Bangabandhu killers". Dhaka Tribune. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Col Rashid's daughter held for blast link". The Daily Star. 24 October 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2016.