7 November 1975 Bangladesh coup d'état

Bangladesh became an Independent country in 1971 through the Bangladesh Liberation war. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the socialist Bangladesh Awami League became the first president of Bangladesh.[1] Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the President of Bangladesh, was killed in the 15 August 1975 military coup.[2] Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad replaced him as the President of Bangladesh.[3] Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad replaced the Bangladesh Army chief, Major General K M Shafiullah, with Major General Ziaur Rahman, the deputy Army chief.[4] Pakistan welcome the removal of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and China and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.[4] Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf, the chief of general staff, had asked Ziaur Rahman for the chain of command in Bangladesh Army to be restored, Ziaur Rahman proved unwilling or unable to do so. There was discontent in the Army and Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and officers like Colonel Shafaat Jamil and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider planned to remove Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad from power.[4]

Khondakar Mostaq Ahmad was himself removed from power through the military coup on 5 November 1975.[3] He was removed from power by Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider.[5] Khaled Mosharraf forced Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad to resign but listed to Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad's request that the assassins of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman be given safe passage out of Bangladesh. Before the assassins left Bangladesh they had killed Awami league leaders and former Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam, former Prime Minister Muhammad Mansur Ali, former Minister Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman and former prime minister Tajuddin Ahmed who were imprisoned in Dhaka Central Jail after the 15 August military coup. Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad was replaced by the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem, who became the next President.[4]

Rumours were spread in cantonments in Bangladesh that said Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider were Indian agents who would give Bangladesh over to India.[5] Colonel Abu Taher organised soldiers loyal to him and Major General Ziaur Rahman to replace the government. They launched the coup on 7 November 1975. Khaled Mosharraf and Lieutenant Colonel A.T.M Haider tried to resist the coup but failed, they were killed by the Army soldiers.[4] Colonel Abu Taher had resigned from the Army in September 1972 and joined the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.[6] Soldiers in the street shouted Nara-e-Takbeer and Sepoy-Janata Zindabad.[7]

It was suggested Colonel Abu Taher was involved in the death of Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf.[5] Chief of Army staff Major General Ziaur Rahman who was placed under house arrest by Khaled Mosharraf was freed. The coup created the path for Ziaur Rahman to take over the government.[8][9] Colonel Abu Taher was hanged on July 1976 by President Ziaur Rahman.[10]

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, founded by Ziaur Rahman after he became President,[11] remembers this day as National Revolution and Solidarity Day and celebrates it annually while the Bangladesh Awami League calls it Freedom Fighters Killing Day and views it negatively.[5] The Bangladesh Nationalist Party called the military coup a civil military uprising.[8]