Bangladesh Former president Ershad dies

Bangladesh Former president Ershad dies

Former President of Bangladesh and Jatiya Party Chairman, Hussain Muhammad Ershad died, while undergoing a treatment at Combined Military Hospital on Sunday

morning.

He breathed his last at 0745 hrs, said Rezaul Shamim,an assistant director of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The former military strongman had been shuttling between his home and hospital for the last a few months as his health condition was deteriorating.

Ershad, also the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, had captured power in 1982, when he was the Army Chief and declared himself the President the next year.

He later formed the Jatiya Party and won the controversial election of 1986.

He seized power as head of the Army during a bloodless coup against President Abdus Sattar on 24 April, 1982.

He declared himself President in 1983, and subsequently won the controversial 1986 Bangladeshi presidential election.

Ershad served in the Presidential office until 1990, when he was forced to resign following a popular pro-democracy mass uprising led by Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina.

Ershad founded the Jatiya Party in 1986 and became a Member of Parliament for that party in the constituency of Rangpur-3 in 1991, with successful re-election in all subsequent general elections.