Nation observes Autocracy Resistence Day today
The nation is observing Autocracy Resistence Day today, marking the historic resignation of autocratic military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad on this day in 1990 under intense pressure from a mass uprising.
On 6 December 1990, the then autocratic president handed over power to an interim government, bringing an end to his nine-year dictatorial rule and paving the way for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.
The BNP and left-leaning political parties had waged a relentless anti-Ershad movement. In the final phase of the agitation, the Awami League-led alliance, the BNP-led alliance, and the Workers Party-JASOD-led alliance jointly announced a roadmap on 21 November 1990. Although not part of any alliance, Jamaat-e-Islami also participated in the anti-Ershad movement.
Sustained protests and the unified outline presented by the three alliances ultimately forced President H M Ershad to step down.
During the prolonged anti-autocracy struggle, many lost their lives, including Noor Hossain, Dr Shamsul Alam Milton, Delwar, Tajul, and numerous others.
Ershad, who was then the army chief, had seized power through imposition of martial law on 24 March 1982. Faced with continuous agitation by the Awami League and BNP-led alliances as well as left-wing political parties, he was compelled to relinquish power.
Notably, the Jatiya Party chairman passed away on 14 July 2019 while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.
