Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad

Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (Template:Langx; 27 February 1919 – 5 March 1996) was a Bangladeshi politician. He was the Minister of Commerce in the third Mujib Rahman ministry under President-Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and assumed the presidency of Bangladesh after the President-Prime Minister's assassination on 15 August 1975. He praised the assassins as "sons of the sun" and put cabinet ministers loyal to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in jail.<ref name="Bangla Tribune">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=bpedia>Template:Cite book</ref> On 3 November, he himself was deposed in another coup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

His party failed to gain any significant traction in Bangladeshi politics and never became a major political force.

Early life

Ahmad was born on 27 February 1919, into a Bengali Muslim family of Khondakars in the village of Dashpara in Daudkandi, Tipperah district (now Comilla District, Bangladesh). The family was a Pir family, his father Al-Hajj Hazrat Khandaker Kabiruddin Ahmed was considered to be a Muslim saint and was known widely as Pir Sahib, his mother was Begum Rabeya Khatun, a homemaker. He was a fourth-generation descendant of Khandaker Jalaluddin, an immigrant scholar of Arabic and Persian from Baghdad who was employed by the Nawabs. He completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Dhaka and entered politics in 1942. He was one of the founder joint secretaries of the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="bpedia" />

Background

Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad was born on 27 February 1919, into a Bengali Muslim family of Khondakars in the village of Dashpara in Daudkandi, Tipperah district (now Comilla District, Bangladesh). He completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Dhaka and entered politics in 1942. He was one of the founder joint secretaries of the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League.<ref name="bpedia" />

Political career

Ahmad was elected a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly in 1954 as a candidate of the United Front. After the central government of Pakistan dissolved the United Front, Ahmad was jailed in 1954 along with other Bengali leaders. He was released in 1955 and elected the chief whip of the United Front parliamentary party. In 1958, with the promulgation of martial law, he was arrested by the regime of Ayub Khan. During the 6 Point Movement, Ahmad was again jailed in 1966. Following his release, Ahmad accompanied Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (then the most senior leader of the Awami League Party) to the all-parties conference called by Ayub Khan in Rawalpindi in 1969. In 1970, he was elected a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.<ref name=bpedia/>

Government of Bangladesh in exile

At the onset of the Bangladesh War of Independence and Mujib's arrest, Ahmad and other Awami League leaders gathered in Mujibnagar, Meherpur to form the Government of Bangladesh in exile. Syed Nazrul Islam served as the acting president while Mujib was declared president, Tajuddin Ahmad was appointed prime minister and Khondakar Mostaq Ahmed was made the foreign minister.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In this capacity, Ahmad was to build international support for the cause of Bangladesh's independence. But his role as the Foreign Minister became controversial as he wanted a peaceful solution, remaining within Pakistan by forming the Bangladesh–Pakistan Confederation. He was sidelined after his manoeuvrings came to light, left out of a visit to the United Nations General Assembly and dismissed by Prime Minister Ahmad shortly before the end of the provisional government, when the war had already ended. He was replaced by Abdus Samad Azad. Zafrullah Chowdhury alleges that Ahmad did not act alone in this regard and that Awami League leaders were involved.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sheikh Mujib administration

After the liberation, Ahmad was appointed the Minister of Power, Irrigation and Flood Control in 1972 as part of the Second Sheikh Mujib cabinet. In 1973, he took charge of the Ministry of Commerce in the Third Sheikh Mujib cabinet. He was a member of the executive committee of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL)Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced a political system often described as “One Party, One Man, One Rule,” reflecting the establishment of a centralized authority under the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL) in 1975. system<ref>Template:Cite Banglapedia</ref> which was formed in 1975.<ref name="bpedia" />

1975 Political Crisis and Presidency

Sheikh Mujib and his family, except for his two daughters who were in West Germany at the time, were assassinated by a group of army personnel on 15 August.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ahmad immediately took control of the government, proclaiming himself President.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> All three services chiefs were dismissed and replaced by next in line seniors. Major General Ziaur Rahman was appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army, replacing K M Shafiullah. Air Vice Marshal A. K. Khandekar was replaced by AVM M G Ghulam Tawab. Mushtaq reportedly praised the plotters who killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman calling them Shurjo Shontan (Sons of the Sun).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mushtaq Ahmad also ordered the imprisonment of leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman and Muhammad Mansur Ali. He replaced the national slogan of Joy Bangla with Bangladesh Zindabad slogan and changed the name Bangladesh Betar to 'Radio Bangladesh'. He proclaimed the Indemnity Ordinance, which granted immunity from prosecution to the assassins of Mujib.<ref name="bpedia" /> Mujib's daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana were barred from returning to Bangladesh from abroad. BAKSAL and pro-Mujib political groups were dissolved.

On 3 November, in what became infamously known as the "Jail Killing Day",<ref name="Hasina extends deadline">Template:Cite news</ref> the four imprisoned leaders Tajuddin Ahmad, Syed Nazrul Islam, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman, and Muhammad Mansur Ali, who had refused to co-operate with Mostaq,<ref name="Newton2014">Template:Cite book</ref> were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail by a group of army officers on the instruction of President Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, Mushtaq Ahmad was ousted from power on 6 November following a coup on 3 November led by Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Colonel Shafat Jamil among others.<ref name="Borders 1975">Template:Cite news</ref>

Formation of the Democratic League

Following his removal from office in the 3 November 1975 coup led by Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf, Mostaq Ahmad was imprisoned. After his release in 1976, he founded a political party named the Democratic League. Later that year, he was arrested for alleged involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow the military government and was convicted in two corruption cases, receiving a five-year prison sentence.<ref name="bpedia" />

Later life and legacy

Sculpture of Khondakar Mostaque Ahmad in Mujibnagar, Meherpur

Ahmad was imprisoned by Brigadier General Khaled Mosharraf<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and later by the Ziaur Rahman administration until 1978. Upon his release, he formed Democratic League and attempted to resuscitate his political career, but to no avail. He spent his last years in Dhaka and died on 5 March 1996.

Ahmad was named in the investigation of the murder of Sheikh Mujib launched in 1996 by his daughter Sheikh Hasina, who had just won the national elections to become Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Hasina blamed Ahmad for her father's death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Due to his death, he was not charged or tried.

See also

• BM Abbas

External links

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