Shariful Haque Dalim

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Lieutenant colonel (Retd.)
Shariful Haque Dalim
শরীফুল হক ডালিম
Born (1946-02-02) 2 February 1946 (age 78)
Dacca, Bengal, British India
NationalityBangladeshi
SpouseNimmi Dalim
Awards Bir Uttom[2](Revoked[3])
Conviction(s)Murder (assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman)
Criminal penaltyDeath by hanging
Military career
Allegiance Pakistan
Bangladesh Bangladesh
Service / branch Bangladesh Army
 Pakistan Army (1965-1971)
 Pakistan Air Force (1964-1965)
Years of service1968-1974[1]
Rank Lieutenant colonel
UnitArmoured Corps
Commands
  • Company Commander of Bengal Lancers
  • Sub-Commander of Sector - I
Known forAssassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Shariful Haque Dalim (born 2 February 1946)[1] is a former Bangladeshi army officer and ambassador of Bangladesh.[4] He was also convicted for his part in the assassination of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.[5][6][7]

Career

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Dalim had joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1964 and changed his job to Pakistan Army in 1965. When the Bangladesh Liberation War started, he joined the Mukti Bahini. In 1974, he was stationed with the Bengal Lancers. Due to accusation of breach of discipline, he lost his commission in 1974.[8] After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975, he was re-employed in the Bangladesh Army and promoted to the rank of Lt. colonel.[9] In 1976, he was sent as a diplomat to the People's Republic of China after being assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1] In 1980 he joined the London High Commission. In 1982, he took charge of Hong Kong as a commissioner. Served as ambassador to Kenya in 1988.[1] At the same time he was given charge of Tanzania. He also served as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UNEP and HABITAT.[1] He also held the special responsibility of overall supervision of Bangladesh Army personnel sent as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force during the war in Somalia. He retired from government service in 1995.[1]

Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

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Dalim (centre right) with other coup members

Dalim, along with a few other Bangladesh Army officers including Major Syed Faruque Rahman and Khandaker Abdur Rashid, planned a coup which took place on 15 August 1975. He was major ranked officer during the assassination. He was asked to lead the attack on the house of President Mujib but he refused to do so. He was then given charge of the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment. Assassination of Sheikh Mujib took place during the course of the coup.[10] He took control of Bangladesh Betar Radio station and made an announcement. He said "I am Major Dalim speaking; autocrat Sheikh Mujib has been killed. The army led by Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad has taken over power. Curfew has been declared".[11]

The coup made Mostaq Ahmad the president. The new president declared martial law and passed the 1975 Indemnity Act which provided legal protection to those involved in the coup.[12] Dalim was reinstated in the army and promoted.[13]

From 1 December 1982 to 6 May 1988, Dalim was the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Hong Kong.[14]

In 1996, the Awami League government, led by Mujib's daughter Sheikh Hasina began prosecution process for the case. Dalim was demoted and dismissed from the army. He was sentenced to death in absentia.[15][16] It is claimed that he lives in Pakistan on a Kenyan passport and that he has business interests in Africa.[17][18][19]

Personal life

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Shariful haque dalim and his wife Nimmi chowdhury

Dalim is married to Nimmi Chowdhury[20] and has one daughter.[1] His younger brother is Kamrul Haque Swapan.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Life sketch - AMBASSADOR LT. COL. (RETD) SHARIFUL HAQ DALIM BU". Official website of SHARIFUL HAQ DALIM BU. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Bangladesh Gazette of 15 December, 1973; Ministry of Liberation War Affairs". Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ "HC asks to strip freedom fighter titles of four Bangabandhu killers". The Business Standard. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022.
  4. ^ Salil Tripathi (19 November 2014). "Of course, we killed him ... he had to go". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. ^ Karim, Rezaul (14 August 2016). "Four could not even be traced". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ "SHEIK MUJIB GETS TOTAL AUTHORITY OVER BANGLADESH". The New York Times. 26 January 1975. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  7. ^ Maniruzzaman, Talukder (1975). "Bangladesh: An Unfinished Revolution?". The Journal of Asian Studies. 34 (4). Cambridge University Press: 891–911. doi:10.2307/2054506. ISSN 0021-9118. JSTOR 2054506. S2CID 154434833.
  8. ^ "Shahriar's confession". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  9. ^ "The Mujib killers". Frontline. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024.
  10. ^ Sarkar, Ashutosh (19 November 2009). "Farooq's confession". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Dalim goes on air". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Shame darker than the night". The Daily Star. 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  13. ^ Dalim, Shariful Haq (1 November 2011). Bangladesh, Untold Facts. Jumhoori Publications. ISBN 978-9699739408.
  14. ^ "Former Consuls General". Consulate General of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Hong Kong. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  15. ^ "'Col Jamil involved, Khaled Mosharraf key plotter'". bdnews24.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  16. ^ "Death sentence to Sheikh Mujib's killers is a surprising sequel to a tragic drama". India Today. 23 November 1998. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Where are they?". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016. Dalim lives in Pakistan and often travels to Libya, in particular Benghazi... Wali-ur Rehman said Dalim has business in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and some other African countries. He even has managed a Kenyan passport.
  18. ^ "6 killers still out of reach". The Daily Star. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  19. ^ PTI. "Bangladesh trying to bring back founding father Mujib's killers from US, Canada". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ^ "SHARIFUL HAQUE, DALIM". cbi.gov.in. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Col Rashid's daughter held for blast link". The Daily Star. 24 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
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