Biography of Tajuddin Ahmad
(Founder Prime Minister of Bangladesh)
(July 23, 1925 - November 3, 1975)
Tajuddin Ahmad was born on July 23, 1925, in the village Dardoria, in Kapasia Thana,of Gazipur district, which is 82 kilometers by road from the Capital city Dhaka, Bangladesh. The name of the village connotes "The River Gate" or "Flowing River" and may be associated with the river Shitalakhya on whose bank it stands.
Tajuddin's father was Moulavi Muhammad Yasin Khan and his mother Meherunnesa Khanam. There were ten brothers and sisters--four brothers and six sisters. Being the child of a conservative Muslim family from a middle class, his education began at the village maktab (religious school) founded by his father. Later on he was enrolled in Bhuleswar Primary School, two kilometers from the family house. When he was in class (grade) four he was enrolled in Kapasia Minor English School, a distance of five kilometers from Dardoria. His enrollment at this school was due to the encouragement of his mother. While a student at Kapasia M.E. School Tajuddin drew the attention of three senior revolutionary leaders who had dedicated their lives to liberating their country from the British rule. They were impressed by Tajuddin's merit and planted the seed of patriotism in young Tajuddin's heart. They recommended to his teachers that their student be sent on to a better school. Accordingly he was admitted into St. Nicholas Institution in Kalinganj. At this school, as well, he so distinguished himself that the headmaster advised that he be admitted into Muslim Boys' School in Dhaka, and then he went on to St. Gregory's High School. During his studies in school Tajuddin Ahmad always stood first in his class. In the ME Scholarship exam he won the first place in Dhaka District. Tajuddin Ahmad was also a Hafez (one who is intensely well-versed in the Holy Quran and knows the Holy Quran by heart). In 1942, when the World War II was going on, he received training in civil defense. In 1944, at the Matriculation exam, he won the twelfth place in the First Division, in Kolkata Board,the only existing board,in Bengal Province, during that period. In 1948 at the Intermediate (equivalent to HSC) exam he won the fourth place in the First Division,in Dhaka Board.
Tajuddin was all along associated with the Boy Scout movement.
Since his school days Tajuddin Ahmad had been involved in progressive movements, politics and social work. He had been imprisoned numerous times for his political activities for freedom, democracy and economic justice. He obtained a bachelor (Hons) degree in economics from Dhaka University. In the Provincial Election of 1954 he ran on the ticket of the Jukta (United) Front and defeated the General Secretary of the Muslim League by a wide margin and was elected MLA. As a student of law he attended his classes regularly but took the final examination while in jail and obtained the LL.B. degree. The famine of 1943 and its trail of deaths moved Tajuddin Ahmad deeply. After the famine he organized the people of the village into setting up a storage system called "Dharmagola" which was a novelty at the village level. In harvest season food grain would be collected from the rich and deposited in the storage so that food could be supplied to the hungry in time of disaster. He would work relentlessly for service to the needy. When Tajuddin Ahmad was an MLA, a boy named Abdul Aziz in his village was wounded from a gunshot. He brought the boy to the hospital and himself donated 10 ounces of blood with the purpose of saving the life of the victim. Later, on hearing that the boy died, he was deeply grieved.
From the time of his student days Tajuddin Ahmad was connected with the kind of politics which aimed to emancipate the people of Bengal. From 1943 onward he was an activist of the progressive Muslim League. In 1944 he was elected Councilor of the then Bengal Muslim League. In 1947 India was partitioned into two States, namely India and Pakistan. The State of Pakistan was divided into two wings called East Pakistan and West Pakistan, which were separated by twelve hundred miles. After the partition of India, Tajuddin was actively associated with every movement that was organized in Pakistan to resist communalism and to support economic emancipation and the language movement. When East Pakistan Students League was formed on 4th January 1948 he was one of its founders and devotedly discharged his onerous responsibility in this regard. He was an active member of All-Party State Language Movement which aimed to establish Bengali, the language spoken by the majority in East Pakistan as the State Language of Pakistan. When the Awami League was formed on 23 June, 1949 Tajuddin Ahmad was one of its main organizers. From 1953 to 1957 he was General Secretary of Dhaka District Awami League. In 1955 he was elected Social Welfare and Cultural Secretary of Awami League. He visited the United States as a State guest in 1958. The same year he visited the United Kingdom.
Syeda Zohra Khatun (Lily) and Tajuddin were married on April 26, 1959.
Tajuddin found an ideal life partner in Zohra . Their marriage inspired Tajuddin to continue his struggle for freedom and democracy. In 1962 he was actively involved in the movement for restoration of democracy and was imprisoned. In 1964 Tajuddin Ahmad played a key role in the revival of Awami League. In 1964 after being elected Awami League's Organizing Secretary he, under the leadership of Bangabandhu (the title Bangabandhu which means the Friend of Bengal was bestowed on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by the people of Bangladesh), infused a new vigor into the party. In 1966 he attended with Bangabandhu the conference of opposition parties held in Lahore, (then) West Pakistan. At this conference Bangabandhu declared the Six Points, the charter of liberation of the Bangalees in (then) East Pakistan. Tajuddin was one of the key architects of the Six Points. By dint of his organizational skill and devotion he became a close associate of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In the same year he was elected General Secretary of Awami League. While the movement for Six Points was ongoing he was arrested on May 8, 1966. He was released on February 12, 1969 in the face of mass upsurge. In the 1970 general election he was elected member of Pakistan's National Assembly. In an attempt to deny the popular mandate and to foil by various stratagems, the Bangalees' struggle to realize their rights, Pakistan's military dictator President Yahya Khan suddenly declared postponement of the session of the National Assembly on 3rd March, 1971. The unprecedented Non-Cooperation Movement was launched under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In directing the organizational strategies of this movement and negotiating with the military rulers at the discussion table as a trusted associate of Bangabandhu, Tajuddin Ahmad proved his great talent and capabilities. While Bangabandhu could inspire people with hopes and dreams, it was Tajuddin who through his foresight and talent transformed those aspirations into realities. Indeed, Bangabandhu and Tajuddin were complimentary to each other.
On the night of 25 March, 1971 the Pakistani forces went on a genocide and arrested Bangabandhu and took him to West Pakistan the next day. Liberation war of the Bangalees began. The East Pakistan declared Independence from Pakistan and emerged as Bangladesh on March 26, 1971. In the absence of Bangabandhu the responsibility of leadership devolved on Tahuddin Ahmad. On April 10, 1971 the government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was formed and Tajuddin became its Prime Minister by universal consent. This government took a formal oath of office in the presence of hundreds of local and foreign journalists and residents of the area on April 17, 1971. The Proclamation of Independence was read and the Oath took place in the Mango Orchard of Bayddanathtala in Kushtia, Bangladesh. Tajuddin renamed this place "Mujibnagar" which means the 'City of Mujib' after Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He declared Mujibnagar as the official Capital of Bangladesh. Despite crippling obstacles he organized both the political and the military front within a short time. His abilities, sacrifice, devotion and patriotism inspired all. The successful leadership during the liberation war marked the finest period of Tajuddin Ahmad's life. During the liberation war the office of the exile Mujibnagar Government was established at No. 8 Theatre Road in Kolkata, India. In two rooms at one corner of No.8 Theatre Road Tajuddin set up his office and his residence. All through the liberation war Tajuddin Ahmad worked day and night in that temporary office of theatre road. He passed night after night in discomfort, ate whatever food was supplied by the mess, even did his own washing. He took a vow that till Bangladesh was liberated he would not lead a family life. As the Prime Minister of a nation ridden in war and its freedom fighters' away from their families Tajuddin wanted to share their sufferings as well as set an example. It is not possible to express in words the hard work that he did during the nine months of the war. During those months there was no rest for him. It was because of his capable leadership that the nation could win its independence within a record time of 266 days.
His firm resolve and commitment on the question of the country's liberation had no parallel. He was far from an opportunist. He would never compromise the interest of the nation. It was his unbreakable spirit that helped the nation to wriggle out of the deep crisis into which it was thrown. With his idealism and firmness of resolve and unique qualities of leadership he was able to spurn all inducements and strove single-mindedly towards his goal. He was not willing to settle for anything less than full independence. No one could deflect him in the slightest degree from his firm resolve. Because of his clear pragmatic thinking and courage he could reach the cherished goal in due time. Tajuddin Ahmad possessed the rare ability to make the right decision with intelligence in a moment of crisis.
He was able to create enthusiasm in the 75 million people of Bangladesh across parties and ideologies for freedom. During the liberation war the force of his inspiring leadership and overpowering oratory made the 75 million people of Bangladesh, irrespective of party and persuasion, into determined freedom fighters--an achievement that might not have been possible with any other leader. He knew no nepotism and treated every one, including his opponents and those who caused him harm, with fairness and justice.
After the victory in the liberation war and till Bangabandhu's return on 10 January 1972, Tajuddin directed the affairs of the state. He handed over the Prime Minister's position to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on January 12,1972. After the transfer of power, he held the portfolios of Finance and Planning.He took great pains to build up a self-reliant and flourishing economy. He left a high mark as the Finance Minister of a newly independent nation. As a member of the constituion framing committee,Tajuddin was one of the key architects in framing the constitution of the newly liberated country. His pragmatic approach to problem solving and stand for truth and justice won him many friends. It also won him enemies who relentlessly conspired to put obstacles in his path.
He resigned as the Minister of Finance on 26 October 1974.
On August 15, 1975 Bangabandhu with his family-members were assassinated by the usurpers. Tajuddin was house arrested on the morning of that day. He was taken to the central jail on August 22. On November 3, 1975,while in custody, Tajuddin Ahmad and his three colleagues and national leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, M Mansur Ali and Kamruzzaman were brutally assassinated in violation of all prison rules and the law of the land. Besides wife Syeda Zohra Tajuddin, eldest daughter Sharmin Ahmad (Reepi), second daughter Simeen Hussain (Rimi), youngest daughter Mahjabeen Ahmad (Mimi) and the only son Tanjim Ahmad (Sohel), Tajuddin has left countless admirers. The Founder Prime Minister and the protagonist of the Bangladesh liberation war, Tajuddin Ahmad, who had dedicated his heart and soul to serving humanity and building Bangladesh into a happy, prosperous and independent nation, left this world as a martyr. He lived his life with highest integrity, and offered his life for the people's welfare. He never sought publicity nor media attention for himself. This selfless statesman who was endowed with brilliance, humility, courage and respect for people, irrespective of caste, creed or color was mercilessly killed by the enemies of the country's liberation. Yet, there is no death of an ideal. Tajuddin is immortalized in the history of Bangladesh and Bengalee peoples' Liberation through his noble works and glorious deeds.
Translation from Bangla by Muhammad Nurul Quadir (Freedom Fighter and Lawyer)
Revised by Sharmin Ahmad. April 14, 2008.
Book sources:
Tajuddin Ahmad: Itihasher Pata Theke. Edited by Simeen Hussain Rimi.Dhaka: Pratibhas,2000.
Independence of Bangladesh in 266 Days:History and Documentary Evidence.Muhammad Nurul Quadir.Dhaka.Mukto Publishers,2004.
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Compilation: Our heroes, our pride, our four national leaders
Our heroes, our four national leaders-Syed Nazrul Islam, Acting President, Tajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister, M Mansur Ali, Finance Minister and AHM Qamruzzaman, Minister for Home affairs, relief and rehabilitation were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail by a section of misguided soldiers inspired by defeated evil forces of darkness and on this day November 3 of 1975.
Dear readers, my humble request to every single reader to rise above partisanship and all trivial differences and read the compilation below. Read to learn about our national leaders who lead the countries liberation to its final victory and made supreme sacrifice to uphold their belief but not giving up their honor.
Even if you do not share the same ideological path, share their value of remaining truthful what they believe in and not giving up their dignity when they faced the ultimate, the death.
On this day, I pay my homage and salute my fallen heroes of liberation and center of my inspiration along with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the father of the nation. I pray to my almighty creator and seek his divine blessing and forgiveness for all of our national leaders and millions of our loved ones who sacrificed their life for our country to be free and remain free.
I found some video link, which is remarkable imaging collection of facts about our national leader Tajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister of our first provisional government during our glorious independence war. I wish I can collect video presentation about other national leaders who died on fateful night of November 3rd of 1975.
Sincerely yours
Shamim Chowdhury
TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [PART 01]
TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [PART 02]
TAJUDDIN AHMED : AN UNSUNG HERO [part 03]
Syed Nazrul Islam (1925 รข€" 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician and a senior leader of the Awami League. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, he served as the acting President of Bangladesh in the absence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Early life
Syed Nazrul Islam was born in 1925 at Jamodal Dampara in the Kishoreganj District of the province of Bengal . He obtained degrees in history and law from the University of Dhaka and was an active student political leader in the Muslim League. Syed captained his college's cricket and hockey teams and participated in the Pakistan movement. He entered the civil service of Pakistan in 1949 but resigned in 1951 to work as a professor of history at the Anandmohan College in Mymensingh, where he also practised law.
Political career
Syed Nazrul's political career began when he joined the Awami Muslim League and participated in the Language Movement in 1952, for which he was arrested by Pakistani police. He would rise to various provincial and central party leadership positions, becoming a close confidante of the party's leader Sheikh Mujib. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1970, where he served briefly as deputy leader of the majority. Following the arrest of Mujib on March 25, 1971 by Pakistani forces, Syed escaped to Mujibnagar with other party leaders and proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh . Mujib was elected president of Bangladesh but Syed would serve as acting president, with Tajuddin Ahmed as prime minister. Syed played a key role in leading the nationalist cause, coordinating the Mukti Bahini guerrilla force and winning support from India and other nations.
After the independence of Bangladesh , Syed was appointed minister of industries, the deputy leader in parliament and a member of the constitution committee. When Mujib banned other political parties and assumed sweeping powers as president in 1975, Syed was appointed vice president and became a chief organiser of the BAKSAL party and Mujib loyalist groups.
Death
Following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975 Syed fled underground with other Mujib loyalists such as Tajuddin Ahmed, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman and Muhammad Mansur Ali, but was ultimately arrested by the regime of the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad. The four leaders were imprisoned in the Dhaka Central Jail and assassinated on November 3 under controversial and mysterious circumstances. This day is commemorated every year in Bangladesh by the Awami League as Jail Killing Day.
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Tajuddin Ahmad (1925 - November 3, 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician who was one of the most prominent leaders of the Awami League. A statesman of a lofty magnitude he successfully headed the government at Mujibnagar during the Bangladesh Liberation War.He was instrumental in forming the first government of Peoples' Republic of Bangladesh on April 10, 1971.
Early life
Tajuddin Ahmad was born in 1925 in the village of Dardaria in the Gazipur District of the province of Bengal (now in Bangladesh).He studied the Holy Quran and memorized it with the guidance from his father Moulavi Muhammad Yasin Khan. He passed his matriculation exam in first division while earning a twelfth position in merit list nationwide in 1944.He earned an impressive fourth position in high school exam in 1948 and obtained a bachelor of arts degree with honors in Economics from Dhaka University in 1953. He would also later obtain a law degree. As a student activist, Ahmad became active in the Muslim League and the Pakistan movement. He would later organise the student wing of the Awami Muslim League in 1949, joining Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Political career
Tajuddin Ahmad was an active organiser of protests and other activities during the Language Movement of 1952. He was arrested by police and imprisoned for several months. After his release, he was elected to the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly in 1954 but was arrested following the dismissal of the A. K. Fazlul Huq-led government. He would be arrested again following the imposition of martial law by Ayub Khan in 1958 after taking power in a military coup. Ahmed worked actively in the pro-democracy campaign led by the Awami League and other political parties in Pakistan . He organised protests against the arrest of Mujib in 1966 on charges of sedition. He participated at the round table conference in Rawalpindi convened by Ayub Khan to resolve the crisis between the government and the opposition parties. Following the restoration of democracy, he was elected member of the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1970.
Following the arrest of Mujib on March 25, 1971 by the Pakistan Army, and as the genocide of the helpless civilians began in the hands of the pakistan military,Ahmad organised a government-in-exile popularly known as the Mujibnagar government to win his nation freedom. Ahmad named the capital Mujibnagar,after Shaikh Mujibur Rahman.The oath taking ceremony of the first government of Bangladesh took place on the soil of Bangladesh ,in Meherpur,Kushtia on April 17,1971. As the first Prime Minister he led efforts to organise a guerrilla insurgency comprised of Bengali civilians and armed forces and win international support. During this period, Ahmad encounterd vehement intra party strifes led by khandokar Mushataq Ahmad who conspired to harm the national struggle for independence through a failed attempt to form a confederacy with pakistan . Among Ahmad's great diplomatic achievements were to win international support and recognition of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation by the government of India . After the independence of Bangladesh , Tajuddin Ahmad returned to Dhaka on 22 December 1971. In the subsequent cabinet formed under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ahmad was given charge of the ministries of finance and planning. He was also appointed member of the committee in charge of writing the Constitution of Bangladesh.
Assassination
When Mujib assumed the title of president and banned other political parties in 1975, Ahmad opposed the forming of one party system known as BAKSAL. When Mujib was assassinated in by a group of army officers on 15 August 1975 Ahmad was house arreseted on the very same day.Later on August 22, he was arrested with other political leaders by the regime of the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmed and imprisoned at the Dhaka Central Jail. On November 3, in what became infamously known as the "Jail killings," Ahmad along with Syed Nazrul Islam, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman and Muhammad Mansur Ali were killed by a group of army officers, by the direct instruction of Khondakar Mushtaq Ahmed. The recent release(March 25 2007) of a widely acclaimed documentary,Tajuddin Ahmad: An Unsung Hero(directed by Tanvir Mokammel)reflects a growing interest in the life anfd works of Tajuddin Ahmad.
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Muhammad Mansur Ali (b. 1919 - d. 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician who was a close confidante of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh . A senior leader of the Awami League, Mansur also served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in 1975.
Early life
Muhammad Mansur Ali was born in the village of Kuripara , in the Kazipur Thana of Sirajganj District in the province of Bengal (now in Bangladesh ). Mansur pursued his education in Kolkata (then Calcutta ), graduating from the Islamia College (now Maulana Azad College ). He would pursue a M.A. degree in economics and law from the Aligarh Muslim University , the premier Islamic institution in India . During this period Mansur became an active member of the Muslim League, which under Muhammad Ali Jinnah demanded a separate Muslim state of Pakistan . A student leader, Mansur worked actively for the League throughout Bengal . He served as the vice-president of the Pabna District Muslim League from 1946 to 1950. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Mansur settled in what became East Pakistan . He would join the Pakistan Army, receive training at the cantonment at Jessore and attain the rank of army captain. Deciding to practise law, he enrolled in the Pabna District Court in 1951. test
Political career
Rising to public prominence, Mansur was widely known as "Capt. Mansur." He left the Muslim League to join the newly-formed Awami Muslim League of A. K. Fazlul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. He would soon be elected member of the party's central executive committee and president of its Pabna District unit. Mansur was arrested by police in 1952 for helping to organise protests against the declaration of Urdu as the sole official language, in what became known as the Language Movement. Mansur and his party demanded that Bengali also receive recognition and the provinces be granted autonomy. After his release, Mansur was elected a member of the East Pakistan Legislative Assembly in 1954 as a candidate of the United Front alliance of various political parties. In the cabinet headed by Ataur Rahman Khan, Mansur served in different periods as the province's minister of law, parliamentary affairs, food, agriculture, commerce and industry. Mansur was re-arrested in the aftermath of the coup d'etat led by Ayub Khan, who became President of Pakistan and imposed martial law. He would remain incarcerated from 1958 to 1959.
Political Career
Mansur Ali played an important role in the Six point movement led by the Awami League politician Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who demanded substantial regional autonomy and opposed the military regime. Mansur was a key party organiser in the period when Mujib was arrested by the army. In the 1970 elections, he was elected a senior member of the legislative assembly. At the outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, Mansur went underground to organise a government in exile. Declaring the independence of Bangladesh , Mansur became the minister of finance in the Mujibnagar government. In this period, Mansur helped organise the guerrilla movement led by the Mukti Bahini and provide political leadership in the absence of Mujib, who had been arrested by Pakistani forces.
After the independence of Bangladesh , Mujib became the prime minister and appointed Mansur as the minister of communications and later home affairs. Mansur became a key political ally of Mujib and rose in importance as criticism and opposition to Mujib's regime increased. After the introduction of a one-party, presidential system in 1975, Mujib became the President of Bangladesh and assumed sweeping powers. Mansur was appointed the prime minister. He helped Mujib organise the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League, the only legalised political party in the nation and served as its secretary-general. Mansur helped Mujib suppress political opposition, implement large-scale programmes under state socialism and organise a militia of political loyalists known as the Jatiyo Rakkhi Bahini, which was held responsible for the arrests, torturing and deaths of Mujib's opponents.
Death
On August 15, 1975 Mujib was assassinated along with his family by a group of military officers. It is believed that the plot was masterminded by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad, a disgruntled member of Mujib's regime who would become president. Mansur went into hiding immediately after the killing. When Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad invited Mujib loyalists such as Mansur Ali, Syed Nazrul Islam, A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman and Tajuddin Ahmad to join his government, the trio refused. They were arrested by the army on August 23, 1975. Refusing to support Khondaker's regime, they were murdered while incarcerated in the Dhaka Central Jail on November 3. At the time, Bangladesh was in political chaos as Khondaker's regime was overthrown by Mujib loyalist Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf, who in turn was overthrown by Colonel Abu Taher on November 7. Under the Indemnity Act issued by President Ziaur Rahman in 1978, the assassins were given immunity from prosecution. The murder case was finally opened in 1996 by the government of Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Mujib. Three fugitive former army personnel were sentenced to death and 12 former army personnel were awarded life term imprisonment and five persons including four senior politicians were acquitted in the judgement of much talked about jail killing case.
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Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman (1926 - November 3, 1975) was a Bangladeshi politician, senior government minister and a leading member of the Awami League. A loyalist of Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Qamaruzzaman was murdered along with Syed Nazrul Islam, Muhammad Mansur Ali and Tajuddin Ahmed in the infamous "jail killings" in Dhaka Central Jail on November 3, 1975.
Early life
Qamaruzzaman was born in 1926 in the city of Rajshahi in the province of Bengal (now in Bangladesh ). He obtained degrees in economics from the University of Calcutta in 1946, and a law degree from the Rajshahi University in 1956. He began practising law after his induction in the Rajshahi District bar association. As a student, Qamaruzzaman became active in the Muslim League and worked for the Pakistan movement.
Political career
Qamaruzzaman joined the Awami League of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1956. He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in 1962, 1965 and again in 1970. He rose to national party leadership posts in the late 1960s, becoming a close ally of Mujib. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, Qamaruzzaman served as the minister of relief and rehabilitation in the provisional government of Bangladesh formed at Mujibnagar. After the creation of Bangladesh , he won election to the national parliament from Rajshahi in 1973. A minister in Mujib's cabinet, he resigned on January 18, 1974 to serve as president of the Awami League. In 1975, Qamaruzzaman was appointed minister of industries and a member of the executive committee of BAKSAL. He continued to support Mujib despite his assumption of dictatorial powers and a ban on all political parties except BAKSAL.
Death
After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975 Qamaruzzaman went underground with other Mujib loyalists. He was arrested by the regime of the new president Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and imprisoned in the Dhaka Central Jail with Tajuddin Ahmed, Syed Nazrul Islam and Mansur Ali. These four senior Awami League politicians were killed under mysterious and controversial circumstances on November 3, even as a military coup led by Mujib loyalist general Khaled Mosharraf overthrew Khondaker Mostaq's regime.
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Courtesy of Wikipedia
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Excerpts from the documentary: