Biography of Hossain Mohammad Ershad:- Bangladeshi Military and politician of Bangladesh, head of government twice (1982-1984, 1985-1990). He graduated from a local college and studied at the University of Dhaka.
He became a professional of the militia after passing through the Kohat Officers Training School (Pakistan).
During the war of independence, at the end of 1971, Ershad was in the then Western Pakistan. In 1973, he was promoted to colonel and, after receiving the relevant training at the National Defense School of New Delhi (India), a brigade general (1975) and division (1975).
Biography of Hossain Mohammad Ershad
- Born:- 1 February 1930 (age 87), Dinhata, India
- Spouse:- Rowshan Ershad (m. 1956)
- Party:- Jatiya Party (Ershad)
- Children:- Eric Ershad, Shad Ershad
- Education:- Command and Staff College, University of Dhaka, National Defence University, Pakistan
- Presidential Term:- 11 December 1983 – 6 December 1990
When in 1975 General Z. Rahman seized power as the chief administrator of martial law, Ershad was his second until 1977.
See Also: Biography of Mahatma Gandhi
That year, with Rahman installed in the presidency, Ershad assumed the administration of the Martial law, and in 1978 he was promoted to lieutenant general and also took over the leadership of the Army General Staff.
In such a position of force, on March 24, 1982, he overthrew civilian President Abdus Sattar, who had been exercising since the assassination of Rahman in 1981, and whose insistence on withdrawing the army from political affairs had been offensive to the uniformed collective.
Indeed, Ershad had led the loyal forces that prevented the triumph of the coup movement that cost Rahman his life.
Ershad abolished the Constitution and proclaimed the martial law, which was self-appointed administrator-chief, in addition to assuming the leadership of the Government.
At first it installed in the nominal presidency of the Republic to Abul Fazal Ahsanuddin Chowdhury, but Ershad also took this position the 11 of December of 1983. The previous 21 of March had been legitimized in the power by means of a referendum, with the 94.1% of the votes.
His attempts to perpetuate his dictatorial regime found a tenacious resistance from the civil parties and their two main leaders, Hasina Wajed and Khaleda Zia (Z. Rahman’s widow), but Ershad delayed the promised electoral consultations.
In 1984, the government ceded to Ataur Rahman Khan, although it re-established it in 1985-1986, as well as the Ministries of Information in 1986-1988 and Defense in 1986-1990.
In August 1986, the National Party (Jatiyo Dal) was elected president, and on October 15, 1986, Ershad won in the presidential election between accusations of widespread fraud and the opposition boycott.
On November 9, he ceased as a martial law administrator when he declared revoked, and in the legislatures of March 3, 1988, the Jatiyo won a massive absolute majority of 251 seats.
However, the opposition’s request continued: on 26 November 1990 Ershad had to declare a state of emergency, and on 3 December he was forced to resign.
Nine days later he was arrested and taken to prison to deal with various charges. In the following years he was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment with hard labor for carrying unlicensed firearms, another ten years for illegal enrichment (1992) and a third sentence of seven years for corrupt practices (1993).
On June 26, 1995, the Supreme Court of Dhaka was acquitted of his second conviction, but on July 6, a special court in that city found him guilty of a new economic offense and sentenced him to three years in prison.
