Zia was one of Bangabandhu killing masterminds: Researchers

Researchers and political analysts at a webinar said BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was one of the masterminds behind the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They observed that not only Khondaker Mostaq and some army officers were involved in the killing of Bangabandhu but the August 15 carnage of 1975 took place as a result of many international intrigues.

With support from the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), Bangladesh Awami League arranged the webinar titled 'Post-75 Bangladesh: Rehabilitation of Bangabandhu's killers' in the city on Wednesday evening.

Speaking at the webinar, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said: "Personally, I will never claim myself as a successful state minister for foreign affairs unless all the killers of Father of the Nation are brought to justice."

Researcher and columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan said many people think that the US government knew about the August 15 incident.

After the assassination of Bangabandhu, the killers had met Philip Cherry several times at the embassy, while Farooq Rahman met Gaddafi, he added.

"In 1973, he (Farook) had planned to do something. They had taken shelter in Libya and maintained the Libyan connection," Ahsan said.

Former student leader Subhash Singh Roy said Ziaur Rahman had made the Indemnity Ordinance into an act in 1979 aiming to block the trial of the Bangabandhu's killers.

Then in 1996, he said, the Awami League came to power and the law minister of the AL government introduced the 'Indemnity Repeal Bill 1996' in parliament and the BNP lawmakers walked out from the House.

Roy said giving indemnity is a bad habit of BNP since its birth.

Writer and researcher Hasan Morshed said from August 15, 1975 to November 3, 1975, the killers of Bangabandhu had absolute power.

"Within a week after Bangabandhu's assassination, Ziaur Rahman was made the army chief. The Bangabandhu's killers wanted to leave the country for the United States, but the United States did not give them asylum. Then they went to Libya via Bangkok," he said.

"On August 3, 1976, the Bangabandhu's killers formed a political party – Freedom Party – headed by Syed Farooq, one of the killers of Bangabandhu," Morshed said, adding that other killers, including Bazlul Huda and Rashid, joined the party.

He said HM Ershad brought these killers back to the country and gave them a chance to form a party.

Prof Shams Rahman, a teacher of Austrian's RMIT University, said the killing of Bangabandhu was part of a blueprint. Both Khondaker Mostaq and General Zia and some ambitious military officers were involved in the blueprint.

He said according to various information already published, the United States was also involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu.

Prof Shams said American journalist and researcher Lawrence Lifschultz in an interview had claimed that the then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger hated Bangabandhu and was also involved in the conspiracy of Mujib's killing.

Moderated by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, the webinar was broadcast live on the Facebook and Youtube pages of Awami League, Bijoy TV and the Facebook pages of bdnews24.com, banglanews24.com, Bhorer Kagoj, Samakal, Jugantar, Ittefaq, Sarabangla, Jagonews24.com and Bangladesh Journal.