By Rumana Jaman
 
DHAKA, Nov 7, 2025 (BSS) - The streets of the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country drew thousands of people as the dawn broke on November 7, 1975, the day which the county would remember as the auspicious moment for subsequent emergence of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman as a statesman.

The nation once again heard him on radio saying "I am Zia speaking" the call sign like voice it had heard at the onset of the 1971 Liberation War, resurfacing in peoples mind the memory of what inspired them to wage the armed struggle for the freedom of the country.

The people breathed a sigh of relief - as if a heavy stone had been lifted from their chests.

Spontaneous processions of revolution and victory filled the streets. The air rang with applause, chants, and slogans as soldiers and civilians embraced one another, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, echoing in unison.

"Soldiers and people are brothers; long live Bangladesh; long live Major General Ziaur Rahman; join hands - soldiers and people, unite!" were the slogans they chanted in chorus reflecting the hearts of soldiers and the people.

The historic November 7 thus became a turning point in Bangladesh's history, being observed as the day of the Soldiers and People's Revolution.

Through this revolution, Bangladesh began a new journey, slowly emerging from a state of chaos and uncertainty. On this day in 1975, the then Chief of Army Staff Major General Ziaur Rahman, broke free from the web of geopolitical, expansionist, and neo-colonial conspiracies surrounding the country.

In a critical moment of national crisis, patriotic revolutionary soldiers and civilians overthrew the conspirators through a mass uprising and placed General Zia in leadership.

After November 7, 1975, the evolution of self-dignified, distinctive Bangladeshi culture and identity began. A new dawn of hope rose, and the new hero of that dawn was the son of history -- Ziaur Rahman.

Over the years, there have been many conspiracies to erase his memory, but breaking through those plots, Zia secured a permanent place in the hearts of ordinary people.

One of the witnesses to the events of November 7, 1975, was Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed, Bir Bikram, who now leads Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who was then a colleague of Ziaur Rahman.

Revisiting his memory lane, Ahmed said: "On the night of March 26, 1971, under then-Major Ziaur Rahman's leadership, the army first revolted against the Pakistani forces. On that night, he gathered everyone and then we jumped into the Liberation War. On the other hand, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman surrendered to the Pakistanis."

During the war, Mujib didn't come to Bangladesh. It was the common people who fought against the Pakistanis. After independence, Mujib went to Delhi via London and then returned home from Delhi. Upon returning, instead of trusting the armed forces, he created the Rakkhi Bahini. He created Mujib Bahini to suppress the people, leading to growing resentment in the army," he said.

"In this context, on August 15, a group of army officers killed him. One key reason was his deviation from his promises and the creation of a one-party BAKSAL rule. The officers who killed him made his close associate Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad the new president," he said.

Oli Ahmed said: "Then Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf staged a coup against those officers and declared himself Major General and Army Chief. The then Chief of Army Staff General Ziaur Rahman was placed under house arrest. But ordinary soldiers did not accept Khaled's coup. Consequently, a revolution took place, led by soldiers who restored Ziaur Rahman's honour and offered him back the position as the army chief. Under the circumstances Ziaur Rahman again took the charge of the Chief of Army Staff."

He continued, "The November 7 uprising happened to free the country from the grip of the Awami League. The then Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf's coup on November 3 was executed in the interest of the Awami League and with foreign assistance. The discipline in the army was very good at that time. Ziaur Rahman was a highly capable and skilled officer. He became the Deputy Chief of the Army during Sheikh Mujib's tenure. He was actually supposed to become the Chief of Army Staff. But Sheikh Mujibur Rahman broke the seniority and appointed Shafiullah as the Army Chief. After August 15, things were running smoothly in the army, But Khaled Mosharraf carried out the coup on November 3 to bring Awami League back to power. After the coup, Khaled's mother and his brother even had brought out a procession at Dhanmondi 32 in support of the Awami League. After Khaled Mosharraf took charge, there was no order or discipline in the army during those three days. He had to lose his life due to the chaotic situation. In fact, to restore order, soldiers and people carried out another revolution on November 7."

Highlighting Ziaur Rahman's immense popularity among soldiers, Oli Ahmed added, "Ziaur Rahman declared Bangladesh's independence on March 26, 1971. He was Bangladesh's first official acting President. In the nation's darkest hour, he gave them the direction. When the Pakistan Army attacked us, many people were killed. The entire nation was in a state of despair at that time. During that time, the entire nation once again became united through the declaration of independence by the then Major Zia. They got directives. As a result, the common people joined the soldiers to fight back. He was a frontline fighter so he was popular among the people of the entire country including the army."

Oli Ahmed further noted, "Zia never intended to enter politics. Under his leadership, the army expanded from five brigades to five divisions. He reorganized the army, navy, and air force, initiated agricultural and industrial revolutions, canal digging projects, and played a crucial role in restoring law and order. Gradually, his role in state administration drew him into politics in a situation when it was not possible to return to army."

Another witness of November 7, 1975, BNP Standing Committee member Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, said after the assassinations of August 15, the army got divided into two factions.

One faction consists of those who participated in the August 15 killings and their accomplices. The other faction was made up of those who remained loyal to the army's chain of command. Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf took advantage of this tension and carried out a coup on November 3."

Major Hafiz said, "During the events of August 15 and November 3, I was serving as a Brigade Major at the Dhaka Cantonment. While performing the duties of a desk officer there, I observed these incidents."

He added that Khaled Mosharraf, with the assistance of Colonel Shafaat Jamil, placed General Ziaur Rahman under house arrest prior to the coup.

"This event was not well received by the members of the army. Ziaur Rahman was the proclaimer of independence and a popular and competent officer of army. Against this backdrop, a retired officer named Lieutenant Colonel Abu Taher entered the scene. He had retired three years ago to become the vice president of JASAD. Colonel Taher, together with Major Jalil, the leaders of JASAD, formed a unit within the army called the 'Biplobi Soinik Sangstha' or Revolutionary Soldiers' Organization. Its aim was to stage a coup using the soldiers to seize state power."

According to Major Hafiz, Colonel Taher's attitude before November 7 was such that since his Soinik Sangstha could not do anything on August 15 so they would have do something now. On November 3, Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf staged a coup in the army, dismissed Khondaker Mostaq and appointed Justice Sayem as president. Colonel Taher the Biplabi Soinik Sangstha, which he was running clandestinely since 1974 was of no use so far. He also had the desire to come to state power; at that time, using his organization's soldiers, he distributed a leaflet opposing Khaled Mosharraf's coup and made soldiers believing that the November 3 coup was in favor of India, that is, a coup on behalf of the Awami League. On the other hand, as a result of distributing the leaflets, members of the military across every cantonment in the country became highly agitated. The situation escalated to such a critical level that, sensing the danger, those involved in the August 15 military mutiny surrendered in the early hours of November 3. They demanded exit abroad. 

Later, Khaled Mosharraf sent them to Bangkok by air in the evening. After Colonel Rashid and Colonel Faruq departed, the soldiers of the 2 Field Artillery Regiment and the Armored Corps (two units that staged the August 15 mutiny) felt helpless, as their leaders had left the country. They become desperate to protect themselves by quickly staging another coup to return to their previous positions.

"It was in this context the November 7 came. Colonel Taher's (Biplobi) Soinik Sangstha was not a unified combatant unit of the army. They were, in fact, soldiers in the back row during the war. But taking advantage of Ziaur Rahman's captivity, they mutinied in the early hours of November 7 and Colonel Rashid's soldiers went and freed Ziaur Rahman and brought him to the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment. There, Ziaur Rahman resumed his responsibilities in the army. As the army chief, he devoted himself completely to restore discipline in the army," he said.

Major Hafiz said, "Very early on November 7, Colonel Taher came and told Zia that the JASAD leaders were waiting and that he should go to the Shaheed Minar and give a speech. Ziaur Rahman replied, 'I am the Army Chief; I will not involve myself in politics. Therefore, it is not possible for me to join any political party.' This greatly angered Colonel Taher, and he returned from the cantonment. However, he did not have enough strength to oppose Ziaur Rahman while he was staying in a unit in the cantonment. For this reason, he left the cantonment and went to the residence of the house tutor at SM Hall (of Dhaka University), where he hatched a plot to overthrow Zia."

"In the first hours of November 7, the soldiers rebelled and presented a 12-point demand. Among these demands was that to join the Officer Corps, one must be selected from among the soldiers; outsiders would not be allowed. As a result of this rebellion, 13 innocent officers - who had no involvement in any kind of uprising - were killed, including two females. In such a situation, Ziaur Rahman believed that the army itself had to be brought under control restoring the chain of command. Therefore, he had arrested Colonel Taher and his associates and punished through a trial."

Talking to BSS, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said after the coup of November 3, 1975, when the country's situation became complicated, the revolution of November 7 became inevitable.

Subsequently, amid the extreme instability and uncertainty following the sepoy revolution, Ziaur Rahman is believed to have firmly taken the reins and united the nation, he said.

Explaining Ziaur Rahman's relevance in the context of November 7, 1975, he said, "Look, when you refuse to allow a peaceful transfer of power, when you do not hand over authority in a peaceful manner; when you close all the windows and doors, then naturally another window will be opened".

"On November 3, 1975, Ziaur Rahman was placed under house arrest. Some patriotic members of the army freed him on November 7. This paved the way for the establishment of a multi-party governance system in the country. In that sense, November 7 was a turning point. This turning point was toward the independent and sovereign Bangladesh," he said.

He added, "On November 7, along with soldiers, ordinary people took to the streets in support of Zia. Not only did he proclaim independence, but at the beginning of the Liberation War, Ziaur Rahman rebelled and fought on the battlefield in the War of Liberation. Fortune favors the brave. His release from captivity in November 1975 propelled him to the pinnacle of state power."

BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "November 7, 1975, was indeed a turning point for Bangladesh. Its significance lies in restoring democracy - the core spirit of independence and the Liberation War.

Referring to November 7, 1975, as a 'turning point' for Bangladesh, Hossain said that the significance of this day lies in restoring democracy, which is the core spirit of independence and the Liberation War. This day is closely intertwined with the Liberation War, he added.

Recalling some events of November 7, he said, "In the period after the Liberation War, several important events occurred between August 15 and November 7. On November 3, under the leadership of Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf, a military coup took place, leading to the fall of the Khandakar Mushtaq government. Major General Ziaur Rahman was confined. Five days later, a military revolution occurred, which the people of the country recognized as the revolt of the soldiers and the general public."

"After this revolution, Shaheed Zia delivered a historic speech to the nation. He urged the people to remain calm and called for the protection of Bangladesh. Later, he was appointed as the Martial Law Administrator by the President. Through this, the country transitioned from a one-party rule back to a multi-party governance system."

Political analysts note that after November 7, under President Zia's leadership, Bangladesh emerged as a stronger, more sovereign state. Democracy was revived, progress resumed, and the people felt relief and stability return.

Former university professor and political analyst Dr. Mahbub Ullah said, "When Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf placed Zia under house arrest on November 3, the nation was deeply worried. The people could not bear to lose this great son of the nation. When Zia was freed through the historic November 7 revolution, the dark cloud over Bangladesh was lifted, and Zia became the de facto leader of the state."

He added, "Since 1975, November 7 has been observed as a day of pledging to defend national independence and sovereignty, symbolizing the unity of the military and the people. It should not be viewed through a partisan lens - it stands as a testament to national strength, unity, and solidarity."