Abu Taher

For the Bangladeshi industrialist and politician, see Abu Taher (banker). For the English journalist, see Abul Taher. For the Buyid ruler of Hamadan, see Shams al-Daula.
Lt. Col. Abu Taher

Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher (Bengali: আবু তাহের) (14 November 1938–21 July 1976) was a freedom fighter and received the award Bir Bikrom.[1] He also received the award Bir Uttom.[1] He was a communist and a left-leaning activist of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, responsible for the Soldiers Mutiny and Uprising and the break-out that occurred in Dhaka, which freed Army Chief General Ziaur Rahman[2] and killed many officers and men[3] along with their spouses on 7 November 1975. As a Captain, Taher escaped from Pakistan during mid-August with three other fellow officers and successfully made contact with Indian authorities.

On 24 November 1975 General Zia-ul-Haq ordered Taher be arrested on charges of high treason and murder. Taher was tried by a military tribunal, sentenced to death on 17 July 1976 and executed by hanging on 21 July 1976. On 22 March 2011 the High Court overturned the judgement that authorised Taher's execution. The military court judgement was declared illegal.

Early life and education

Abu Taher was born in Badarpur, Assam Province of British India on 14 November 1938.[4] He is from Kazla village in Purbadhala in Netrokona District of Bangladesh which is his ancestral home. After completion of higher secondary school from Murari Chand College in Sylhet, Taher joined the Pakistani Army in September 1960 as an officer candidate.[5] He studied at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of the University of Dhaka.[6]

Military career

Taher received his Commission in 1962 as a second lieutenant in the Pakistan Army. He joined the elite Pakistan Special Services Group (Commando Force) in 1965.[4] Following his training, he participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 in the Sialkot sector of Kashmir. For his part, he received a war participation medal from the Pakistan Army. After the war, Taher took officers pre qualification course on guerrilla warfare at Fort Benning in the United States in 1969. He was posted to the Quetta Staff College, Pakistan in 1970.[5]

Role in Bangladesh Independence War

Towards the end of August 1971 Taher, along with three other Bengali officers: Maj. Abul Manzoor, Capt. Dalim and Capt. Ziauddin defected from the Pakistani Army and crossed over the border near Abbottabad, West Pakistan, into India.[5] After two weeks under Indian intelligence screening and debriefing, he was sent to Bangladeshi Armed Forces (BDF) HQ at 8 Theatre Road. He was promoted to Major and posted to Sector 11 as Sector Commander under General M. A. G. Osmani at Teldhala.[7] Sector 11 was located across the Rangpur District, which comprised Mymensingh District, Tangail District and parts of the Rangpur District. 2 November 1971, Taher lost his leg from mortar shelling by Pakistan Army.[8] Squadron Leader M. Hamidullah Khan was officially appointed Sector Commander of Sector 11 under direct orders through EAM from Colonel Osmani, Mukti Bahini Headquarters. Taher was flown to Pune, India. On 21 November Taher received a Medical Board Release. His leg was later amputated there, where he remained until February 1972. For his valour, he was awarded Bir Uttom.

Post-liberation activities

Following his return, Taher was reinstated into the Bangladeshi Army in April due to the severe shortage of personnel, as many remained stranded in Pakistan, where most were interned as prisoners of war. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was appointed as the "Adjutant General" of Bangladesh Army. In June 1972 he was appointed as Commander of 44th Brigade at the Comilla Cantonment.[5] Due to his left-leaning communist ideas of organising and reforming the Bangladesh Army along the model of the Chinese army, he resigned from the army and joined the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal (National Socialist Party).[9] As Taher's ideas of a social revolution with a central communist army grew, a rebellion occurred on 3 November 1975 among senior officers and field unit commanders in the army, against those in charge since Sheikh Mujib's assassination on 15 August 1975. Taher quickly took advantage of this, exacerbating dissent among ranking non-commissioned officers and regular soldiers.[9] Taher incited and organised a socialist uprising of the soldiers on 7 November 1975. Some revenge killings took place of a number of military officers and their wives due to incidents dating back to injustices that occurred during the independence war in 1971. Acts of treason and clear serious breach of military discipline and morale followed. Former Army chief of Staff, Major General Ziaur Rahman, who was released from house arrest by soldiers of 2nd Field Artillery Regiment worked to bring down the acts of treason and mutiny. Taher's actual intentions revealed further and he threatened to further instigate instability until his demands were met. Members of the army and their families demanded justice which was inevitable to bring back discipline and morale.

Once Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq retook charge of the Army, he promised stability and on 24 November 1975 ordered Taher be arrested on charges of high treason and murder. Taher was tried by a military tribunal inside the Dhaka Central Jail and sentenced to death on 17 July 1976. He was executed by hanging on 21 July 1976.[10] The trial was considered flawed.[10][11]

High Court ruling

On 22 March 2011 the High Court overturned the previous judgement that authorised Taher's execution by a military tribunal while the nation was under martial law. The military court judgement was declared illegal.[12] The court observed Taher's execution had happened according to General Zia's plan.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Habib, Haroon. "Two epoch-making verdicts". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Staff Correspondent. "Zia revived Razakars: Inu". bdnews24.com. bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Newton, Michael. Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia. United States of America: ABC-CLIO, LLC. p. 455. ISBN 9781610692861.
  4. 1 2 Remembrance. "TWO GIANTS". archive.thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Editor. "Taher, Colonel Abu". en.banglapedia.org. Banglapedia. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  6. ↑ News Editor. "Col Abu Taher's biography". bdnews24.com. bdnews24.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Star Online Report. "Taher execution an outright murder: HC". archive.thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  8. ↑ Star Country Desk. "Kamalpur, Phulbari tasted freedom on this day in '71". thedailystar.net. The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  9. 1 2 "History of Jatiya Samajtantric Dal". Dhaka Informatix. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  10. 1 2 Manik, Julfikar Ali. "5th amendment verdict paves way for justice". archive.thedailystar.net/. The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Katsiaficas, George (2013). Asia's unknown uprisings. Oakland, Calif.: PM. p. 270. ISBN 9781604864885.
  12. ↑ "HC declares Taher trial illegal" bdnews24.com
  13. ↑ Niloy, Suliman. "‘Zia staged trial to kill Col Taher’". bdnews24.com. bdnews24. Retrieved 19 June 2015.

External links

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