Hossain Mohammad Ershad
Hossain Mohammad Ershad (born
1 January,
1930) was the military
dictator of
Bangladesh from
1982 until
1990. After a military coup on
March 24 1982, Ershad became martial law administrator until 1984, abolishing the post of prime minister. In 1983 he became the President, and in 1984 restored the office of prime minister, but did not allow elections. On
December 6 1990, he was forced to resign following massive protests. He was imprisoned until
1995. Even during that time, he was a member of Parliament for his
Jatiya Party.
The Ershad regim is often criticized for wide-spread corruption. However, even the criticts acknowledge some of his achievements, many of which come from the development of the infrastructure of the country. He is particularly popular in
Rangpur - his home district, which was benefitted with numerous development projects during his regim. He also chaired the first
SAARC summit in
Dhaka in 1985.
Ershad's personal life has often come to the headlines. During his military rule, he claimed that his wife gave birth to a son, Saad Ershad, though later it was revealed as a publicity ploy, and that Saad was adopted. In the early 2000s, he married a fashion designer, Bidisha, who was 40 years younger than him (he is still married to his first wife, Roushan Ershad). In mid-2005, following allegations that Bidisha Ershad has ties to India, he divorced her, and lodged several cases of theft and fraud against her. Ershad has also been associated with several scandals during his rule, though not all of them were later substantiated.
