Muhammed Abul Manzur

Muhammed Abul Manzur (24 February 1940 – 1 June 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer who commanded the Bangladesh Forces operations in Sector 8 and Sector 9 during the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971. Manzur was awarded the Bir Uttam by the Bangladeshi government for his actions in the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1981, he was falsely accused of the assassination of the then-president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia (President Ziaur’s widow) accused Hussain Muhammad Ershad of orchestrating President Ziaur’s assassination as well as Manzur's murder. In 1995, Manzur's older brother filed a case to investigate Manzur's murder, with Ershad named as the prime suspect in the case. At the time of his death, Manzur was the general officer commanding (GOC) of the 24th Infantry Division headquartered at Chittagong.

Early life

Manzur was born on 24 February 1940 into a Bengali Muslim family in the village of Gupinathpur in the Bengal Presidency of British India (now in Brahmanbaria District, Bangladesh). His ancestral paternal home was in the village of Kamalpur in Chatkhil, Noakhali.Template:Refn He was a student in Calcutta before enrolling at the Armanitola Government High School in Dacca at class five. He moved to attend school in PAF College Sargodha in first entry (54, Tempest), Punjab, West Pakistan, and passed the Senior Cambridge and ISc examinations in 1955 and 1956, respectively. Manzur earned an intermediate degree from the Sargodha Air Force Cadet College and studied at Dacca University in East Pakistan for a year.

Military Career

Following his graduation, Manzur joined the Pakistani Army, subsequently attending the Pakistan Military Academy and the Defence Services Staff College in Canada, where he obtained his PSC in 1968 and joined the East Bengal Regiment of the Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer.

After the War of Liberation began in 1971, Manzur was a brigade major of a para commando brigade close to the Indian border. He escaped from West Pakistan to India with Major Abu Taher, Major Mohammad Ziauddin, and Captain Bazlul Ghani Patwari and with his family. From there, they made their way to Bangladesh, and Manzur joined up with fellow officers from East Bengal. He quickly became a prominent officer within the ranks and won many battles in his sector. He commanded Sectors 8 and 9 during the Liberation War from September 1971 to victory in December 1971.

In 1974–76, he was posted in New Delhi as military attaché in the High Commission of Bangladesh to India. Known for his tenacity, keen eye for strategy, and formation of loyalty from colleagues, in 1975 he was promoted to colonel. Upon his return to Dhaka in 1977, he was promoted to brigadier. After the 1977 Bangladesh Airforce Mutiny, he suggested that the air force be disbandedand replaced with an army aviation wing.

He was later given the role of GOC of the 24th Infantry Division. He offered to instead serve as Commandant of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, but he was denied. In 1980, he was promoted to Major General at the age of 41. He was one of the youngest generals of a front-line force in South Asia's history.

Assassination

In 1981, Manzur was falsely accused of the assassination of the then-president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia (President Ziaur’s widow) accused Hussain Muhammad Ershad of orchestrating President Ziaur’s assassination as well as Manzur's murder several days later. At the time of his death, Manzur was the general officer commanding (GOC) of the 24th Infantry Division headquartered at Chittagong.

Manzur was assassinated in Chittagong Cantonment by an army officer sent from Dhaka by General Ershad. General Ershad took over the country in a coup less than a year after orchestrating the assassinations of President Ziaur and General Manzur.

Trial

On 28 February 1995, Manzur's elder brother filed a case to investigate Manzur's murder with Panchlaish Police Station, 14 years after the murder. Former President Ershad was the prime accused in the case. Other accused are Maj (retired) Kazi Emdadul Haque, Lt Col (retired) Mostafa Kamaluddin Bhuiyan, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Shams, and Major General (retired) Abdul Latif.

Family and legacy

Manzur's widow, Rana Yasmeen Manzur and their two daughters and two sons received political asylum in the US. He was considered a war hero as Sector 8 commander in the Liberation War.

Further reading

• Ali, Tariq. Pakistan: Military Rule or People's Power?, London: Cape, 1970.