Ershad, Hussain Muhammad (1930– )

Military ruler of Bangladesh 1982–90. He became chief of staff of the Bangladeshi army in 1979 and assumed power in a military coup in 1982. As president from 1983, Ershad introduced a successful rural-oriented economic programme. He was re-elected in 1986 and lifted martial law, but faced continuing political opposition, which forced him to resign in December 1990.

In 1991 he was formally charged with the illegal possession of arms, convicted, and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. He received a further sentence of three years' imprisonment in February 1992 after being convicted of corruption. In January 1997, he was released from prison on bail by the supreme court and resumed leadership of the Jatiya Dal party. The party withdrew from the governing coalition in March 1998. In November 2000, Ershad went back to jail on corruption charges dating from 1991.

Born in the Rangpur region, he joined the then Pakistan army in 1953.