Daughter files case after 47 years accusing Zia as mastermind for giving order

BNP founder Ziaur RahmanPortrait: Masuk Helal

After 47 years, a murder case was filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station in the capital on Wednesday night in connection with the killing of Colonel Khandkar Nazmul Huda Bir Bikrom.

Nahid Izhar Khan, MP, daughter of late Col Khandkar Nazmul Huda, filed the case accusing Major (retd) Abdul Jalil of then 10 East Bengal Regiment and 20-25 unidentified people.

She also mentioned the name of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman as the mastermind for giving order to kill him in her First Information Report (FIR).

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station Utpal Kumar Barua told reporters that Colonel Nazmul Huda's daughter filed the case as a plaintiff. In the FIR, she alleged that on the orders of Ziaur Rahman, three army officers including Col Khandkar Nazmul Huda Bir Bikrom were killed. Retired Major Abdul Jalil along with 25 unnamed people has been named as accused in the case, the OC said.

“We are investigating into the allegation of the case,” the OC added.

According to the FIR, the plaintiff mentioned that she was only 5 and her elder brother was 8, on 7 November 1975, when her father was killed by the members of the Bangladesh Army in the compound of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka while serving as Commander of 72 Special Brigade of the Bangladesh Army in Rangpur.

Two sector commanders-- Major General Khaled Mosharraf Bir-Uttam and Lt Col ATM Haider Bir-Uttam—were also killed during the incident, she said.

On 26 March 1971, Col Nazmul Huda joined the liberation war and directly participated in the liberation war. He was the Boyra sub-sector commander under Sector 8 of Jashore. Pakistan Army was defeated in the famous Tank Battle of Garibpur, Battle of Chowagacha under his direct command.

Jashore became the first district of Bangladesh to be liberated under the leadership of Col Nazmul Huda on 6th December in 1971.