Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said on Monday that Ziaur Rahman was directly involved in the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Mayor Taposh made the remarks while addressing a discussion to mark the 48th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Merajnagar Super Market area of the capital on Monday.

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Taposh said, "In March 1975, Rashid and Faruk, two of the perpetrators of the killing of Bangabandhu and his family, met Ziaur Rahman. The killers told Ziaur Rahman, the then deputy chief of army staff, that they wanted to take action against the president (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman). The killers – Rashid and Faruk – expressed their desire to engage in seditious activities that day, but Zia did not take any action against them.”

"There was no attempt to arrest them. During the long period from March to August, Zia did not inform the higher authorities or the president or the government of their activities. Instead, he told the killers: 'You go ahead'. When the senior officer tells the subordinate to go ahead, it means that he ordered them to kill the president.”

Taposh said that Ziaur Rahman was involved in more heinous seditious activities.

He said the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal was formed then to carry out anti-government activities.

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“Ziaur Rahman had a connection with the JSD and was involved with them. Sirajul Alam Khan confirmed that Ziaur Rahman contacted them through someone before the incident that took place on November 7,” Taposh said.

Using Gana Bahini, he orchestrated the incident on November 7.

“Sirajul Alam Khan has also written about this sequence of events in his autobiography. So why would an army officer associate himself with a group which is engaged in anti-state activities - it is clear from this sequence of events that Ziaur Rahman was deeply involved in the conspiracy and murder of Bangabandhu,” he said.

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Dhaka City South Awami League President Abu Ahmed Mannafi, Bangladesh Awami League Central Working Committee Member Sanjida Khanam, among others, spoke on the occasion.