Why Khaleda Zia’s Husband, Ex-President Ziaur Rahman, Was Buried Twice – A Chapter From Bangladesh’s Turbulent Past | World News

Dhaka: Ending a chapter that has been a part of Bangladesh’s political memory for over four decades, former Prime Minister and BNP chief Khaleda Zia was buried next to her late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.

Rahman, a former president and commander during Bangladesh’s Liberation War, was assassinated during an attempted military coup in Chattogram on May 30, 1981. In the chaotic hours that followed his murder, his body was secretly buried in the hilly Rangunia region on the outskirts of the port city.

Later, on the initiative of the then government, his body was exhumed and flown to Dhaka; here he was reburied with full state honours, in what was then Sher-e-Bangla Park, near the Parliament complex.

During the rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the name of the park was changed to Chandrima Udyan. Later, the BNP government changed the name to Zia Udyan, while the Awami League later changed the name to Chandrima Udyan. After the fall of the Awami League government, the signs on the site once again read Zia Udyan.

Political commentators and historians say that although the name of the park has changed, the decision to bury Rahman here with state honors was taken by the interim government led by Judge Abdus Sattar.

The proposal came directly from Justice Sattar and was unanimously approved by the cabinet. Army commander Ershad also supported the decision. Historians say Rahman was buried near the Parliament building for his role in introducing multi-party democracy in Bangladesh.

Now, decades later, the BNP buried Zia next to her husband. After passing away in a hospital in Dhaka on Tuesday, December 31, 2025, following a long illness, he was buried with state honors.

Assassination, Secret Funeral

Rahman had gone to Chattogram on May 29, 1981, on a two-day visit to resolve internal disputes among local party leaders. Party leaders and colleagues who accompanied him say he retired around midnight after all-day meetings.

A few hours later, a group of officers stormed the Chattogram Circuit House and opened fire, killing him on the spot. News of his death was first broadcast on the radio on the morning of May 30. Following the assassination, Vice President Justice Sattar took office as interim president and officially announced Rahman’s death in a radio and television speech later the same day.

A few hours after the murder, the president’s body was secretly moved to the rugged Rangunia region. Contemporary newspaper reports said he was buried at the foot of a hill. A report dated June 2, 1981, cited by eyewitnesses in Dainik Sangbad, stated that a group of soldiers arrived at the Circuit House between 8 and 9 a.m. on May 30, placed the bodies of President Rahman and two others in a vehicle, and took them to an unknown location.

The government also claimed that it was trying to bring Rahman’s body to Dhaka on the day of the assassination. Then Prime Minister Shah Azizur Rahman told reporters that in the absence of direct contact with local authorities, the government requested the International Red Cross to help transport the body. A government statement later stated that the request was rejected by the then GOC of Chattogram, Major General Abul Manzoor.

A Dainik Sangbad report dated 31 May 1981 stated that the interim president’s cabinet met officially for the first time at Bangabhaban on 30 May and passed a condolence resolution. Justice Abdus Sattar later said that he performed the funeral prayers in Dhaka after he did not receive a response to the government’s demands.

Cure of the Corpse, State Funeral

On 31 May, divisions emerged among the coup plotters and many officers pledged allegiance to the interim government. As events unfolded rapidly, Major General Manzoor and Colonel Matiur Rahman escaped from Chattogram cantonment that night. After government forces regained control, Manzoor was arrested and later died from gunshot wounds.

On June 1, Brigadier General Hannan Shah found Rahman’s grave. Later, in an interview with BBC Bangla, he said that the search team proceeded along Kaptai Road and located a new grave based on information provided by local villagers. The bodies of Rahman and two other officers were unearthed during the excavation.

The bodies were first taken to Chattogram cantonment and then flown to Dhaka by helicopter. On June 2, the body was held at the Parliament building until 11:00 am so that the public could pay their respects.

Newspapers reported that his funeral prayers were performed at 12.30 pm on Manik Mia Boulevard and then he was buried by the lake near the new Assembly complex.

A June 3 report by Dainik Ittefaq stated that the burial site was chosen at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Park, located north of Parliament and east of the prime minister’s residence.

The interim government, headed by Justice Sattar, took many important decisions at that time, including granting Rahman a state funeral and selecting his burial place. There was broad consensus that he should be buried near Parliament. Several Awami League MPs were present both at the funeral and the cremation. People from all segments of society attended the funeral, leaving aside political differences.

Nearly 44 years later, Zia is now buried next to Rahman, uniting them once again in a place that is symbolic in Bangladesh’s political history.