However, Sheikh Hasina raised questions about Ziaur Rahman's loyalty to Bangladesh during the liberation war in 1971.
He said, “The question is whether his loyalty was to Bangladesh or to Pakistan, because Pakistan Army officer Mirza Aslam Beg had written a letter to Zia for his satisfactory activities.”
He also said, “(Mirza) Aslam Beg (who was an army officer in Bangladesh at that time) had written a letter to Ziaur Rahman expressing satisfaction over his activities during the liberation war.”
In that letter, the Prime Minister noted that Mirza Beg also said that Ziaur Rahman's wife and son were fine in Dhaka Cantonment.
He said, “The question is why the Pakistanis took care of the wife and sons of the person who had declared independence in the cantonment and had written a letter expressing satisfaction with his job.”
General Mirza Aslam Beg served as the Pakistan Army Chief of Staff from 1988 until his retirement in 1991. His appointment came when his predecessor, President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, died in an air crash on 17 August 1988.
