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Historical Memory Journey

Abdus Sattar

President of Bangladesh

He headed the elected civilian government that Ershad overthrew in 1982, representing a fragile attempt to stabilize constitutional rule after the Zia era.

Context

Bangladesh's uncertain civilian transition in 1981-1982.

Abdus Sattar

Contribution

He headed the elected civilian government that Ershad overthrew in 1982, representing a fragile attempt to stabilize constitutional rule after the Zia era.

Impact

His removal highlighted how weak elected institutions remained in the face of military power.

Appears In Events

Timeline View

1982

Ershad's Coup and the Return of Military Rule

On 24 March 1982, Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad seized power, removed President Abdus Sattar's elected government, suspended parts of the constitution, and imposed martial law. The coup ended a fragile civilian experiment that had followed the turbulence of the late 1970s and reinserted the military directly into the core of Bangladesh's political order. What followed was not only a change of ruler but the beginning of a new authoritarian phase that reshaped institutions, party politics, and the language of democratic resistance.