Nobody survived the pitfalls of politics like Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Even after his fall at the end of 1990, the deposed military regime leader emerged as a powerful player in Bangladesh's politics where he earned a name for himself for frequently changing his position, a disposition that suited him well to a highly polarised polity where the pendulum kept swinging back and forth between the Awami League and the BNP. It meant that Ershad, unlike other ousted dictators in the world, was elected as a member of parliament on five occasions and died while serving as the Leader of the Opposition.

Despite his numerous scandals, the former president remained an admired figure for his fans, mainly in the northern region, who called him 'Pollibondhu' or the friend of the villages, for his efforts to develop the rural areas during his regime. His death brings down the curtain on a nearly four-decade-long colourful and controversial political career, although it threw the future of his party into uncertainty with top party leaders including brother and wife engaged in a bitter power struggle.

The former military strongman breathed his last at 7:45am on July 14 while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at the age of 89. Since then, condolence messages kept pouring in mainly from political leaders mostly praising his role as a political leader. Perhaps his ultimate triumph was reflected in the struggle to secure his burial. In the end, two days after his passing, Ershad was buried at the grave dug by his party followers at the Litchi Orchard of his Polli Nibash (Rural Abode) in Rangpur, as the Jatiya Party central command was forced to revise its decision of burying him at Military Graveyard in the capital due to the immovable stance of party followers in Rangpur.

A large number of army personnel took position around the prepared grave before the burial to maintain discipline as thousands of people gathered there to bid farewell to their beloved leader.

Earlier in a condolence message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recalled Ershad's constructive role in parliament as the opposition leader.

Though BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a condolence message, he did not say anything about his political life. Gono Forum, the party of eminent jurist and the architect of the Bangladesh constitution Dr Kamal Hossain, also expressed shock at his death in a short message.

In his condolence message, president of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, himself an ex-president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury said, "Ershad had a colourful life amid rise and fall, success and failure."

He said Ershad could keep a political party functional despite serious adversities and created his many followers. "He made an indelible mark in our history."

Krishak Sramik Janata League president Kader Siddiqui said, "No autocrat in the world's history could do politics again after facing an ouster. Ershad was exceptional in this regard. He was not only in politics, but also elected in parliamentary elections repeatedly with public support."

"Hussein Muhammad Ershad is an essential name in the political history of Bangladesh," he added.

Jatiya Party (Zafar) chairman and secretary general Mostafa Jamal Haider and Zafarullah Khan said the nation will remember forever with gratitude Ershad's contributions to outstanding development of rural areas and achieving economic progress.

The former military strongman had been shuttling between his home and hospital for the last few months as his health condition deteriorated. He was admitted to the CMH on June 26 as he had been suffering from various old-age complications, including low haemoglobin, kidney and liver problem, high bilirubin and serious knee pain.

Jatiya Party, which joined the 11th parliamentary elections at the end of 2018 as the key partner of the Awami League-led Grand Alliance, was given 22 seats and Ershad was elected MP from Rangpur-3 constituency. He became the Leader of the Opposition in the current parliament and picked his brother to run the party in his absence, though his wife and her followers were dead set against the move.

Born on February 1, 1930 in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, to Mokbul Hussain and Mazida Khatun. His family migrated to present-day Bangladesh, then a part of Pakistan, in 1948, after Indian independence. Ershad attended Carmichael College, Rangpur, then the University of Dhaka, graduating in 1950. Ershad was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1952. After officer training school in Kohat, Pakistan, then at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, in 1969 he was made a commanding officer in the East Bengal Regiment. There is a controversy over his role in the 1971 Liberation War as many freedom fighters accused him of deliberately going to West Pakistan instead of joining the war in favour of Bangladesh. In any case he was interned during the war and after his repatriation from Pakistan to independent Bangladesh, Ershad was appointed Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army in 1973.

Ershad was promoted to the post of the Chief of Army Staff in December 1978 during the rule of Ziaur Rahman. Amid political turmoil after the assassination of Zia by an army cabal, he took over the state power from then President Abdus Sattar on March 24, 1982, promulgating martial law.

His most lasting impact was to devolve power to the grass roots via the so-called "upazila" system. These are administrative units in rural Bangladesh, combining local and central government functions through elected representatives and officials from national ministries.

They also each have civil and criminal courts. The upazila network, based originally on 460 former thanas, or police stations, was a genuine attempt to give the rural masses some say in their own often wretched lives, but in too many cases it was too dominated by local strongmen and state officials on the make to make a difference.

In 1988, to gain popularity, critics said, Ershad amended the constitution to make Islam the official religion of the formerly secular, Muslim-majority state.

Amid a fierce combined movement by the opposition parties, he was finally forced to step down on 6 December, 1990. The country's educational institutions had experienced a tumultuous time during the Eighties with the formation of the All-Party Students Unity (Apsu). Apsu, virtually led by pro-Awami League Bangladesh Chhatra League and BNP's Jatiyatabadi Chhatra (JCD), had played a tremendous role in ousting Ershad. Ershad, perhaps, was one of the country's most unfortunate heads of the State who had failed to set foot inside the Dhaka University campus during his nine-year autocratic rule. Bangladesh's great artist Kamrul Hasan portrayed Ershad in a cartoon as 'Biswa Behaya' (Scum of the World) on February 2, 1988 at the biennial National Poetry Festival on the Dhaka University campus.

One of the Apsu leaders and then Chhatra League president Habibur Rahman Habib, said no one should say anything bad about a person who left the earth. "But his activities will not be erased from history."

He recalled that Ershad had killed many people, including Dipali Saha, Zafrul, Joynal, Selim, Delwar, Moyezuddin, Mahfuz,Tajul, four-year-old boy Jihad, Dr Milon and Noor Hossain, only to hang on to power illegally.

Habib, now a member of BNP chairperson's advisory council, also said shots were fired at a political meeting of then Awami League president and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during Ershad's regime.

"Usually statements are given seeking salvation of the departed soul after any one dies, but it is not applicable to Ershad as killed many people and oppressed many others alongside indulging in immense misdeeds."

Another Apsu leader and then president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union Mostafizur Rahman Bablu recalled how the students' movement was brutally suppressed by Ershad during the 90s. "His hand was stained with blood of our many students and political activists. We can't forget the history of his repression on students and politicians."

After the fall of Ershad in 1990, few had expected that his highly unpopular party would be able to survive for long. But, things have gone counter to people's expectations, thanks to the support Ershad got from his hometown Rangpur. The Rangpurians adorably call him 'Amader sawal' (our beloved lad).

In 1991, Ershad was arrested and jailed on corruption charges. However, the JP, far from disintegrating, remained a significant electoral force, winning 33 seats in the 1991 parliamentary polls while their leader languished in jail. In two successive elections, Ershad contested five seats and won them all, from his prison cell. Nevertheless, his glory days were over.

Since then, he had been playing the role of the kingmaker in every crucial turn of Bangladesh politics and even voiced his desire to adorn Bangabhaban again taking advantage of the edgy political situation on various occasions Though regarded as a cunning man, Ershad found himself trapped with the Manzur murder case hanging over his head until death.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia used to accuse him of being behind the failed coup in which her husband was killed at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.

Ershad faced criticism throughout his political career for maintaining relations with several women, including Mary, Zeenat Mosharraf and Bidisha. He used to say women came to him getting attracted to his handsome face and athletic figure. Besides Raushon, he married Bidisha as his second wife, in 2000 but divorced her five years later. Apart from them, he is survived by three sons and a daughter, two of them adopted.

A great patron of sports

During his regime, the former Army chief contributed unprecedented advancement not only to the country but also in sports sector as well. Eminent people connected with sports opined that the sports sector of the country would always remember this sports friendly state hero.

Veteran sports journalist Muhammad Kamruzzaman said "Ershad was a sports dedicated soul; the sports of the country gained fresh momentum during his time."

The Jatiya Party Chairman was president of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) and Bangladesh Tennis Federation. He contributed significantly in modernizing the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), infrastructural development for sports and arranging the South Asian Games and Bangladesh Games, the largest domestic multi-sport tournament.

Kamruzzaman said "Ershad was involved with games while studying at the Dhaka University; he claimed second position in Pole Vault competition of Sir Salimullah Muslim Hall and stood first in the high jump while his rival was outstanding athlete Qazi Abdul Alim. So he had special affection for sports."

HM Ershad was president of National Sports Council (NSC) from 1976 to 1979. During that time he shifted all the sports clubs on the premises of Dhaka Stadium (Bangabandhu National Stadium) to a permanent place (currently known as Clubpara) at Motijheel. Later, in 1989, he allocated that place for the Mohammedan Sporting Club permanently.

Ershad was first president of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) from 1977 to 1990. In 1978, he took all the responsibilities for organising the first sports event of Bangladesh Games. Bangladesh was organiser of South Asian Federation Games (SAF) for the first time in 1985 which is currently known as South Asian Games, after he came into power while in the same year Bangladesh also organised the Hockey Asia Cup.

From 1976 to 1990, Ershad was president of Bangladesh Tennis Federation while he modernised the National Tennis Complex of Ramna Park. Not only that, Mirpur Stadium, Mirpur Indoor Stadium, Ershad Army Stadium (Bangladesh Army Stadium) were also established during his regime.

His infinite love for football was evident when Ershad Cup Football Tournament was organised with young footballers in the 80s.

Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA), Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Bangladesh Tennis Federation (BTF) and Mohammedan Sporting Club expressed deep shock and sorrow for the demise of the great sports lover.

The ex-president Hussain Muhammad Ershad was laid to eternal rest on Tuesday at Polli Nibash in his hometown Rangpur where he was the most admired political figure for over three decades.

What he left behind

Ershad's wife Raushon Ershad, who had been maintaining a distance with her husband since she was unhappy that he had made his brother GM Quader his Jatiya Party successor and donated most of his assets and property to a trust, had reportedly established her control over the party before the 10th parliamentary election in 2013, taking a stance against Ershad's decision of boycotting the national election, and subsequently she played the role of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament last time.

But Ershad regained his control over the party before the December 30, 2018 general election and became the Leader of the Opposition in the current parliament. Ershad had also picked his brother to run the party in his absence on January 1 last and appointed Quader as the deputy leader of opposition three days later.

The maverick former military leader, known for frequently changing his decisions, Ershad reinstated his younger brother GM Quader as party chairman in his absence on April 6, and that decision likely now stands.

A day after nominating Quader as his party successor, the Jatiya Party chief donated his all assets and wealth to a trust, fuelling the family feud further.

The Jatiya Party chairman left behind two sons and one adopted daughter and a son.

Ershad married Raushon in 1956 and they have a son Rahgir Al Mahi alias Shad Ershad, now 36.

The former military ruler married Bidisha as his second wife in 2000 and the marriage ended in divorce in 2005.

Ershad has a son, Eric Ershad, with Bidisha. According to Jatiya Party leaders close to Ershad, Eric, now 18 year-old, was his favourite.

Besides, Ershad adopted a girl Jebin, now 35, and a boy Arman Ershad, now 25.

On April 7, Ershad donated all his movable and immovable properties to a trust. His son Eric Ershad, personal secretary Maj (retd) Khaled Akhtar, cousin Mukul, and his personal staff Mohammad Jahangir were included in the trustee board.

He however, did not include his wife Rowshan Ershad, now deputy leader of opposition in parliament in the trustee board.

Jatiya Party insiders said their chairman donated a part of his assets to a trust and distributed the rest among his family.

There is no clear information on Ershad's distribution of his assets while his family members also did not disclose anything about it.

Maj (retd) Khaled Akhtar said Ershad donated his Baridhara residence 'President Park', a flat in Gulshan-2, a shop at Banani, a cold storage in Rangpur, his Rangpur residence Polli Nibash, and Tk 10 crore to the trust.

He said Eric Ershad and his generation will be able to enjoy the assets, but cannot sell.

According a close associate of Ershad, he donated Jatiya Party's Kakrail central office and Rangpur office to the party.

Besides, he gave his house in Gulshan-2 to his wife Raushon while his foster son Arman got an apartment in Gulshan.

He also gave his brother GM Quader and a nephew Asif Shahriar his some assets in Rangpur.

Another party leader said Ershad also distributed his some others assets and cash among his sons Shad Ershad, Eric Ershad, adopted son Arman, daughter Jebin and some relatives.