2 March – First hoisting of the National flag of Bangladesh (initial version) at the Dhaka University[1] by Vice President of Dhaka University Students' Union (DUCSU) leader A. S. M. Abdur Rab.
8 January – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from the Mianwali jail and allowed to leave Pakistan after more than nine months' imprisonment. Two days later, after flying to London and Delhi, he returned to Dhaka to become the first President of Bangladesh.[2]
10 January – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the "Bangabandhu" and "Father of Bangladesh", returned to Dhaka at 1:30 pm to a hero's welcome.[2]
Smallpox outbreak in Khulna Municipality leads to 1384 cases and 372 deaths between April 28 and June 22, 1972.[6]
4 June – A crowded passenger train from Khulna crashes into a stationary freight train at Jessore when the stationmaster throws the wrong switch; 76 people are killed and about 500 injured.[7]
17 April: a tornado in the Manikganj region had killed at least 681 people.[9]
17 July: The first amended was made to the Article 47 of the constitution. The amendment inserted an additional clause, Article 47(3) that allowed punishment and prosecution of war criminals under international law. A new Article 47A was also added, which specified that certain fundamental rights will be inapplicable in those cases.[10]
22 September: Second amendment of the constitution was passed allowing the suspension of some of the fundamental rights of the citizens during a state of emergency.[13]
15 December: Gallantry awards of the war declared in Bangladesh Gazette.
Establishment of the National Library of Bangladesh.[15]
The Shanti Bahini (Peace Force) guerrillas, mostly members of the Chakma tribe, took up arms after Bangladesh rejected their demands for autonomy over 5,500 sq.-mile region bordering India and Burma. They also demanded the removal of more than 300,000 settlers from their tribal homeland.[16]
9 April – A tripartite agreement is signed among Bangladesh, India and Pakistan regarding post-war humanitarian issues.[19]
16 May – A land boundary agreement was signed between Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which provided for the exchange of enclaves and the surrender of adverse possessions.[20]
28 November – Third Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh was passed bringing changes in Article 2 of the constitution. An agreement was made between Bangladesh and India in respect of exchange of certain enclaves and fixation of boundary lines between the countries.[21]
28 December – In the face of growing unrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares a state of emergency.[22]
16 October - Rahima Banu's smallpox infection is reported. She is the last known person to have been infected with naturally occurring Variola major.[24]
3 November: Jail Killing Day, assassination of four leaders of liberation war in prison.
7 November: After a successful coup d'état Major Gen. Ziaur Rahman proclaims himself deputy martial law administrator with Chief Justice Sayem as Chief Martial Law Administrator.
28 September: A Japan Airlines Flight 472 en route from Mumbai to Tokyo was hijacked by 5 Japanese Red Army terrorists shortly after takeoff, and forced the plane to land at then Zia International Airport.[29] The terrorists' demand of $6 million and release of 6 JRA terrorists from Japanese prison was met by the Japanese Prime Minister.[30]Bangladesh Air Force was deployed to control the situation in the ground and to facilitate negotiations.[29]
As a result of Operation King Dragon by the Burmese junta, the first wave of Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh in 1978. An estimated 200,000 Rohingyas took shelter in Cox's Bazaar. Diplomatic initiatives over 16 months resulted in a repatriation agreement, which allowed the return of most refugees under a process facilitated by UNHCR.[35]
6 April – The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Bangladesh was passed by the Jatiya Sangsad. This Act amended the Fourth Schedule to the constitution by adding a new paragraph 18 thereto, which provided that all amendments, additions, modifications, substitutions and omissions made in the constitution during the period between 15 August 1975 and 9 April 1979 (both days inclusive) by any Proclamation or Proclamation Order of the Martial Law Authorities had been validly made and would not be called in question in or before any court or tribunal or authority on any ground whatsoever.[36]
25 March – Bangladeshi armed forces allegedly attacked the village of Kawkhali and left about 300 dead.[39]
1 April - New regulation came into effect enabling the protection of foreign investments in Bangladesh from Government actions like nationalization and expropriation.[40]
May - The village level administrative bodies were formed for the first time under the title of "Swanirvar Gram Sarkar" (Self-sufficient village Government).[41]
May - President Rahman addressed letters to the Heads of Government of the countries of South Asia, presenting his vision for the future of the region and the compelling arguments for regional cooperation in the context of evolving international realities.[42]
17 May - Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returned from India after more than five years exile that began after his assassination. More than one million of her supporters turned out to welcome her return, and she urged the nation to work toward restoring democracy.[44]
30 May - Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh, was assassinated as he spent the night in Chittagong. Taking place at 4:00 am local time, the attack was planned by Major General Muhammed Manzur. Lt. Col. Motiur Rahman shot and killed the pajama-clad President Ziaur.[45]
15 November - Abdus Sattar was confirmed as President of Bangladesh in an election suspected of being rigged. Running on the Nationalist Party ticket as one of 23 candidates, Sattar, who had been the acting President since the May 30 assassination of Ziaur Rahman, officially received 14,217,601 votes, nearly two-thirds of those cast, while runner up Kamal Hossain of the Awami League got 5,694,884.[46]
Bangladesh enacted the National Drug Policy which helped develop the drug manufacturing industry in Bangladesh.[50]
The Upazila Parishad law known as the Local Government (Thana Parishad and Thana Reorganization) Ordinance 1982 provided for a directly elected chairman based on one man one vote principle. The local level government functionaries were made non-voting members while the elected union parishad chairmen became members with voting rights.[51]
14 February - At least 10 people, mostly students, were killed when police opened fire on the procession against the education policy, popularly known at that time as “Majid Khan Education Policy.” The incident marked the beginning of the anti-autocracy movement against the military regime of H. M. Ershad.[52]
21 March – A referendum on military rule was held in order to confirm the military rule of Hussain Mohammed Ershad. The referendum asked voters "Do you support the policies of President Ershad, and do you want him to continue to run this administration until a civilian government is formed through elections?" The result saw 94.5% vote in favour, with a turnout of 72.2%.[64] The opposition organised a general strike on the day of the referendum, and alleged that the results were fraudulent.
Heavy mortars were used in an exchange of fire between Bangladeshi and Indian forces on a disputed section of the border between the two nations.[65]
22 November – The MOU between Bangladesh and India regarding Ganges water sharing was extended for three years.[49]
8 December – The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 6–8 December 1985 and was attended by the Government representative and president of Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the kings of Bhutan and Nepal, and the prime minister of India.[66] They signed the SAARC Charter on 8 December 1985, thereby establishing the regional association, and established study groups on the problems of terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as planning a ministerial-level meeting about GATT, and a ministerial-level conference on increasing the participation of women at the regional level.[66] The summit also agreed to establish a SAARC secretariat and adopted an official SAARC emblem.[66]
21 October – The Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy was established.[71]
10 November – Bangladeshi activist Noor Hossain was killed by the Bangladesh Police while protesting against the rule of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad near zero point in Dhaka.
28 November – Hussain Muhammad Ershad declares state of emergency and bans strikes. All educational institutes are declared closed until 4 December.[72]
24 January – Activists of Awami League, rallying in the streets of Chittagong were attacked by the police. Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mirza Rakibul Huda ordered the police to open fire on the rally which left at least 24 people dead.[73]
25 January – At Pubail, Gazipur District, a northbound mail train collides head-on with an express going to Chittagong and several cars roll off an embankment into a rice paddy. At least 110 are killed and thousands injured.[75]
9 April - Munir Hussain, a wealthy industrialist, kills his wife Sharmin Rima after only four months of marriage. The murder and subsequent trial generates widespread public comment.[76]
30 October - Apparently as a reaction to the laying of the foundation of Ram temple adjacent to the disputed structure in Ayodhya in India, Hindu shops were looted and set on fire in Chittagong, in spite of a curfew. Hindu men and women were attacked and molested.[80]
11 November - An Islamist mob attacked Hindu shops and temples in Narsingdi. More than 25 Hindu-owned shops were set on fire and images in three temples were smashed.[81]
10 October – Naziruddin Jehad, an activist of the pro-democracy movement of Bangladesh, was killed due to the police excesses during the first nationwide strike of the full-fledged movement against Hussain Muhammad Ershad, in front of Dainik Bangla intersection of capital Dhaka.[82]
19 November – BNP led 7-party alliance, Awami League led 8-party alliance and Leftist five-party alliance drafted a "Joint Declaration of Three Alliance".[83] This declaration provided a road-map outlining the process to hand over the Presidency of Ershad to a civil government. The declaration included the idea of a caretaker government that will take over after the fall of Ershad and will hold a free and fair election within 90 days of its arrival to the power.
27 November – Censorship is imposed on the newspapers enabling strict monitoring; newspaper owners and journalists decided not to publish newspapers from the very next day. Ershad declares state of emergency, curfew imposed.
4 December – The ongoing protests against the regime of H. M. Ershad turn into a mass uprising, when hundreds of thousands of people rallied in the streets of Dhaka practically bringing the capital of Bangladesh to a standstill.
10 May – President Bush directed the US military to provide humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh under the umbrella of Operation Sea Angel.[85] A Contingency Joint Task Force under the command of Lieutenant General Henry C. Stackpole, consisting of over 400 Marines and 3,000 sailors, was subsequently sent to Bangladesh to provide food, water, and medical care to nearly two million people.
17 July – Government raised the maximum age limit for entering government job from 27 years to 30 years.[86]
15 September – A constitutional referendum was held where voters were asked "Should or not the President assent to the Constitution (Twelfth Amendment) Bill, 1991 of the People's Republic of Bangladesh?" The amendments would lead to the reintroduction of parliamentary government, with the President becoming the constitutional head of state, but the Prime Minister the executive head. The result saw 83.6% vote in favour, with a turnout of 35.2%.[87]
26 March – The Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee set up mock trials known as Gono Adalat (People's Court) led by Jahanara Imam in Dhaka and 'sentenced' persons they accused of being war criminals.[88]
10 April – The Logang massacre took place in Logang village in the Khagrachari District along the border with India. The massacre allegedly involved Bengali civilians, border guards, and the army who attacked the Jumma people with axes, hatchets, and guns, burning down all the houses.[89] The government investigation committee announced that only 12 people have died, while the unofficial estimate puts the death-toll to around 400.[90]
7 December – There were a series of violence against the Bengali Hindus in protest against the demolition of Babri Masjid and violence against Muslims in India. the Dhakeshwari temple was attacked. The Bholanath Giri Ashram in Dhaka was attacked and looted.[92] Hindu owned jewellery shops were looted in old Dhaka. Hindu houses in Rayerbazar were set on fire.[93]
8 December – Hindus were attacked in Kutubdia Upazila in Cox's Bazar District. Muslims attacked 14 Hindu temples, eight of them were burnt and six damaged. 51 Hindu houses in Ali Akbar Dale and another 30 in Choufaldandi.[94]
20 March – BNP won the by-polls to Magura-2 parliamentary constituency, which had fallen vacant following the Awami League MP's death; but the victory was tainted with allegation of widespread rigging – which eventually strengthened the oppositions claim for a Caretaker Government to oversee future elections.[99]
6 September – The Dhanmondi residence of the founding father and President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was handed over to Bangabandhu Memorial Trust to turn it into a museum.
^Sommer, A. (1974-04-01). "The 1972 Smallpox Outbreak in Khulna Municipality, Bangladesh: Ii. Effectiveness of Surveillance and Containment in Urban Epidemic Control1". American Journal of Epidemiology. 99 (4): 303–313. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a121615. PMID4818720.
^Levie, Howard S. (January 1974). "The Indo-Pakistani Agreement of August 28, 1973". American Journal of International Law. 68 (1). American Society of International Law: 95–97. doi:10.2307/2198806. JSTOR2198806. S2CID246007433.
^ ab"Title Unknown". Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-08-27. Cite error: The named reference "loc" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^Ahmad, Mahiuddin, জাসদের উত্থান ও পতনঃ অস্থির সময়ের রাজনীতি, First published 2015, p. 111, Prothoma Prakashani, Dhaka.
^Cons, Jason (October 2007). "The Tin Bigha corridor 15 years on". Forum. 2 (9). The Daily Star. Retrieved 2017-06-05. India will retain the southern half of South Berubari Union No.12 ... in exchange Bangladesh will retain the Dahagram and Angarpota enclaves. India will lease in perpetuity to Bangladesh an area ... to connect Dahagram with ... Bangladesh.
^Katsiaficas, George (2013). Asia's unknown uprisings. Oakland, Calif.: PM. p. 270. ISBN978-1-60486-488-5.
^Maniruzzaman, Talukder. "Bangladesh in 1976: Struggle for Survival as an Independent State." Asian Survey 17, no. 2 (1977): 191-200. doi:10.2307/2643476.
^Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann (2001). Elections in Asia: A data handbook. Vol. Volume I. p. 534. ISBN0-19-924958-X. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
^Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann (2001). Elections in Asia: A data handbook. Vol. Volume I. p. 536. ISBN0-19-924958-X. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
^Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann (2001). Elections in Asia: A data handbook. Vol. Volume I. p. 525. ISBN0-19-924958-X. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
^Kamra, A.J. (2000). The Prolonged Partition and its Pogroms: Testimonies on Violence Against Hindus in East Bengal 1946-64. New Delhi: Voice of India. p. 215. ISBN81-85990-63-8.
^"215-Law-1991"(PDF). Department of Printing and Publications, Government of Bangladesh. Archived from the original(PDF) on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p534 ISBN0-19-924958-X
^Kemp, Jeff (2004). Make or Break: Bangladesh in the 1990s. Edinburgh: Lame Duck Press. p. 13. ISBN1-904896-02-2.
^Sarkar, Bidyut (1993). Bangladesh 1992 : This is our home : Sample Document of the Plight of our Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Tribal Minorities in our Islamized Homeland : Pogroms 1987–1992. Bangladesh Minority Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, (and Tribal) Unity Council of North America. p. 67.