Mozaffar arrested after 45 years, hands over to army

Detective Branch (DB) police arrested retired major Md Mozaffar Hossain, a convicted fugitive in the murder case of former president Ziaur Rahman, on Thursday after 45 years on the run.

The DB said officers detained him on 16 July and later handed him over to the Bangladesh Army after completing the necessary legal procedures, DB Chief Shafiqul Islam said.

Case background In the early morning of May 30, 1981, a group of rogue army officers attacked the Chittagong Circuit House and killed the then-martyred President Ziaur Rahman.

Among the army officers directly involved in this assassination were Major Mozaffar Hossain and Captain Mosleh Uddin.

After a lengthy judicial process regarding the assassination, the case verdict sentenced 13 army officers to death.

The higher court later upheld that verdict. Subsequently, while some of the death sentences were carried out, several remained fugitives for a long time.

According to historical and case-related accounts, Major Mozaffar Hossain was the first to identify President Ziaur Rahman and fired directly at him.

After confirming the killing, he was the one who telephoned Major General Abul Manzoor, the then GOC of the 24th Infantry Division at Chittagong Cantonment, to inform him.

After the assassination, when the army’s operation brought the situation under control, Major General Abul Manzoor and several others were arrested, and Manzoor was later killed.

Captain Mosleh Uddin was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. At that time, Major Mozaffar Hossain and Major S.M. Khaled managed to flee.