Lesson 4/44 min
The four national leaders
| Leader | District | In the Mujibnagar Government | Later |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syed Nazrul Islam | Mymensingh (born at Jashodal, Kishoreganj) | Vice-President; Acting President | Minister of Industry in Bangabandhu's cabinet |
| Tajuddin Ahmad | Gazipur (Kapasia) | Prime Minister | First Prime Minister of independent Bangladesh; later finance minister |
| Captain M. Mansur Ali | Sirajganj | Finance Minister | Home and communications minister; Prime Minister in 1975 |
| A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman | Rajshahi | Minister of home, relief and rehabilitation, and agriculture | President of the Awami League in 1974 |
The end, in 1975
- After Bangabandhu was killed on 15 August 1975, Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad took power
- The four leaders refused to join his cabinet and were arrested on 23 August 1975
- On 3 November 1975 all four were killed inside Dhaka Central Jail
Did you know?: The cell where the killings took place has been made a branch of the National Museum, called the ‘National Four Leaders Jail Memorial Museum’.
Watch out: Books give Syed Nazrul Islam's district as Mymensingh. According to Banglapedia he was born at Jashodal in Kishoreganj, which was then part of Mymensingh district.
Memory trick: Districts: Nazrul – Mymensingh, Tajuddin – Gazipur, Mansur – Sirajganj, Qamaruzzaman – Rajshahi.
Check yourself
When and where were the four national leaders killed?
At a glance
- 1
The four national leaders: Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain M. Mansur Ali and A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman.
- 2
All four were killed in Dhaka Central Jail on 3 November 1975.
- 3
Tajuddin Ahmad was prime minister of the Mujibnagar Government and the first prime minister of independent Bangladesh; his district is Gazipur.
- 4
Mansur Ali's district is Sirajganj; Qamaruzzaman's is Rajshahi.