In pain, in anger

It was not dawn yet.

At House 677 on Road 32 in Dhanmondi, a contingent of security personnel comprised of police and army was on duty at the residence of President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Nurul Islam Khan, the then deputy superintendent of police, was supervising the guards that night. Bangabandhu's personal assistant AFM Mohitul Islam was with him.

Inside the residence, everybody was still in deep sleep: President Mujib, his wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, daughters-in-law, and brother Sheikh Naser.

It was early August 15, 1975. Around 4:45am, Havildar Md Quddus Sikder along with other guards arrived at the residence as it was the time for changing the guard.

They were hoisting the national flag to the tune of bugle and it was then they heard gunshots coming from the lakeside.

Nurul heard the voice of Bangabandhu on the first floor. They guessed the Father of the Nation was getting down hurriedly.

Bangabandhu reached the ground floor and tried to call somebody on the telephone at the receptionist's room.

Just then a hail of bullets slammed the room and smashed the windowpanes. As Nurul asked the sentries where the bullets were coming from, they replied it was from outside. He ordered them to fire back.

The building seemed trembling with rumbles of heavy gunshots and cannon shells from outside. The firing stopped around five minutes later.

Bangabandhu came out on the veranda. Nurul and a police sergeant stood by him.

"Why so much firing?" Bangabandhu asked them. "Sir, there has been an attack," replied Nurul.

Bangabandhu asked the security guards outside the gate the same question. A sepoy gave a similar answer.

Right at the moment, some people in army dress were crawling towards the southern part of the residence. There were some others from eastern-south and eastern-north sides.

Little did Bangabandhu know that the assassination attempt had begun.

He went back to his room. After a while, Sheikh Kamal came downstairs and stood on the veranda of the drawing room. He asked Nurul whether the army had come. As he nodded, Kamal joyfully said: "Brothers from the army! Come inside!" Kamal said this twice loudly.

There was an eerie silence for a minute.

Just then five to six army men in khaki and black fatigues appeared holding SMGs in their hands. One of them had a sten gun. They barged into the residence and shouted: "Hands up!"

Bangabandhu's PS Mohitul was standing at the drawing room's door.

Dumbfounded, Kamal said: "I am Sheikh Mujib's son."

Havildar Quddus saw Captain Bazlul Huda, Major Nur and Major Mohiuddin at the gate.

Without any warning, Huda shot Kamal in the leg. Kamal jumped to Mohitul's side.

Two bullets were fired at Nurul -- one struck just above his right knee while the other pierced his right shoe and hit a finger.

The killers went upstairs. Around 20-25 more people in army uniform joined them.

Meanwhile, Nurul went to a room next to the drawing room with his bullet-hit leg. He saw two police officials there and then heard gunshots and screams of women. Mohitul was also dragged into the room.

Huda and Nur ordered Havildar Quddus to follow as they headed to the first floor along with their force.

As they walked up to the landing of the staircase, they saw Major Mohiuddin and his soldiers were taking Bangabandhu down.

"What do you want?" Bangabandhu asked.

Nobody answered.

Suddenly, Huda and Nur pulled the triggers, and bullets from their Sten guns rained down on Bangabandhu.

The president collapsed on the stairs and breathed his last with blood flowing down the stairs.

The killers now ran riot at the house. The other members of the family took shelter inside the bathroom attached to the main bedroom. But that did not help.

As the soldiers fired at the door, Begum Mujib opened it.

The killers sprayed bullets at Begum Mujib, Sheikh Jamal, his wife Rosy, and Kamal's wife Sultana.

On the ground floor, an army man went to the room where Nurul and others were staying and asked them to come out. They were lined up.

The officer then shouted at Nurul, "We will kill you as you issued the order to fire." He was dragged out through the main gate towards an armed vehicle. The man then informed his superior about Nurul but the superior asked him to go away.

Nurul went inside the house and he was again made to stand in a line. He was then taken to the reception room where he saw Sheikh Naser lying in a pool of blood. Within moments, Nurul heard gunshots and groaning.

After a while, the killers brought Bangabandhu's 10-year-old son Sheikh Russell and a house help to the ground floor.

Shivering in fright, Russell ran to Mohitul.

Holding Mohitul, he asked: "Will they kill me too?"

"They won't kill you," replied Mohitul.

One of the soldiers took Russell away from Mohitul. Russell then asked the man whether they would kill him and cried to be taken to his mother.

The kid was taken upstairs. Then came a burst of gunshots and screams.

Around 6:00am, some army men came out of the house, walked towards the gate and talked to the army personnel waiting outside.

"All are finished," one of them said.

[Based on the deposition Nurul and Quddus gave as prosecution witness before the trial court in Bangabandhu murder case. We collected the deposition from the book "Bangabandhu Hatya Mamla” by advocate Shahida Begum. Injured on August 15, 1975, Nurul took treatment first at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and then at his village home. Three months later, he rejoined his service.]