Sheikh Mujibur Bangabandhu Rahman (17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975) was the president of Bangladesh from 1971 to 1972 (preceding Nazrul Islam) and Prime Minister from 1972 to 1975 (succeeding Tajuddin Ahmed and preceding Muhammad Mansur Ali). He led the Awami League's struggles for autonomy from Pakistan from 1954 to 1971, and was imprisoned at the time of the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was assassinated in 1975.
Biography[]
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born in Tungipara in the Bengal Presidency of British India on 17 March 1920, and became a student political leader. An advocate of socialism, he created the Awami League in 1954 and fought for autonomy for East Pakistan from Pakistan's western government. In 1968 he was tried for conspiracy with the government of India but was acquitted, and in December 1970 his party won a majority in the general elections for the year. As a result, Pakistan arrested him for his struggle for freedom, prompting India to invade Pakistan in 1971 to assist the rebels. Rahman was in jail the whole time, but on 16 December 1971 he was freed as Pakistan surrendered unconditionally to the Indian and Bangladeshi forces. Mujibur Rahman became the President of Bangladesh that year, and he held the title until 1972. From then on, he headed the government as the Prime Minister. Rahman attempted to deal with the corruption, poverty, and 1974 famine of Bangladesh but failed to achieve full success. In 1975, he and his family were surrounded in their house by a tank and several rogue Bangladeshi soldiers and they were massacred; Rahman was shot on his staircase. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by Muhammad Mansur Ali.