Dhaka | July 2026
Bangladesh authorities have arrested a retired army major accused of involvement in the 1981 assassination of former President Ziaur Rahman, marking a dramatic breakthrough in one of the country’s longest-running political murder cases.
Major (Retd.) Md. Mozaffar Hossain (77) was arrested by detectives from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) during a late-night operation in the Banani DOHS area of Dhaka. Officials confirmed that the fugitive had been evading arrest for the past 45 years before being taken into custody.
Arrest After Four Decades on the Run
According to the DMP, investigators tracked Mozaffar Hossain through intelligence gathering and technological surveillance before carrying out the arrest.
After completing legal formalities, the DB handed him over to the Bangladesh Army, which will proceed with further action under military law, as he remained a fugitive military officer.
DMP Detective Branch Chief Md. Shafiqul Islam said:
“Mozaffar Hossain had remained absconding for the last 45 years.”
He further explained:
“Under the rules, if any military personnel remains absent from duty or goes into hiding, police hand the person over to the relevant military authorities after arrest. His unit will now take the necessary legal action under military law.”
The 1981 Assassination
Former President Ziaur Rahman, founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was assassinated in the early hours of 30 May 1981 during an attempted military coup at the Chattogram (formerly Chittagong) Circuit House.
According to court records and investigators, a group of renegade army officers stormed the Circuit House and shot the President dead.
Authorities allege that Major Mozaffar Hossain was among the officers directly involved in the attack before fleeing Bangladesh shortly afterward.
Major Political Significance
The arrest comes months after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, son of the slain President, assumed office following the BNP’s electoral victory. The new government had pledged to bring all remaining fugitives linked to Ziaur Rahman’s assassination before the law.
Political observers describe the arrest as one of the most significant developments in the decades-old assassination case.
Bangladesh Media Coverage
According to The Daily Star, police confirmed that Mozaffar was arrested from a residence belonging to his father-in-law in Banani DOHS. His wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law were present during the operation. After confirming his identity, detectives immediately handed him over to military authorities.
bdnews24.com reported that Mozaffar had remained a fugitive since 1981 and that a reward had previously been announced for information leading to his arrest.
State-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) confirmed that the arrest followed intelligence-led operations by the Detective Branch and officially identified Mozaffar Hossain as an accused in the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman.
Official Investigation
Investigators say they are reviewing Mozaffar Hossain’s movements over the past four decades, including how he managed to evade arrest for so long and whether he received assistance from associates inside or outside Bangladesh.
Military authorities are expected to initiate further legal proceedings under applicable military laws after assuming custody.
Background
Ziaur Rahman served as Bangladesh’s President from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. A decorated military officer and one of the country’s most influential political figures, he founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which remains one of Bangladesh’s principal political parties. His assassination has remained one of the most consequential and controversial events in the country’s political history.
