The office of the chief martial law administrator (CMLA) was a senior and authoritative post created in countries such as
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
that gave considerable executive authority and powers to the holder of the post to enforce
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in the country in events to ensure the continuity of government. This office has been used mostly by military officers staging a ''
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup
, is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
''. On some occasions, the office has been under a civilian head of state.
Pakistan
Some famous holders of this post in Pakistan include:
Bangladesh
Some famous holders of this post in Bangladesh include:
# Brig. Gen.
Khaled Mosharraf
Khaled Mosharraf (; 9 November 1937 – 7 November 1975) was a two star officer in Bangladesh Army, who is known for his role in the Bangladesh Liberation War and the subsequent coups in post-independence Bangladesh. After deposing Khondakar ...
(1975): held this post in 1975 for four days after a
bloodless coup only to be killed in a counter coup resulting from a popular uprising led by
JSD leader retired Lt. Col.
Abu Taher.
# Justice
Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–76): held this post after Mosharraf's death while serving as the fifth president of Bangladesh.
# Maj. Gen.
Ziaur Rahman
Ziaur Rahman (19 January 193630 May 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as the sixth president of Bangladesh from 1977 until Assassination of Ziaur Rahman, his assassination in 1981. One of the leading figures of t ...
(1976–79): succeeded to this post during Sayem's presidency until the withdrawal of
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
a year after being elected as president.
# Lt. Gen.
Hussain Muhammad Ershad
Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1 February 1930 – 14 July 2019) was a Bangladeshi military officer, dictator and politician who served as President of Bangladesh, the president of Bangladesh from 1982 to 1990.
He seized power as a result of a 1982 ...
(1982—86): held this post after a bloodless coup overthrowing
Abdus Sattar until withdrawal of martial law in 1986.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, this post was briefly held by army chief
Suharto
Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
, who seized power in
1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
and forced President
Sukarno
Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967.
Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
to resign in
1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
. Sukarno had also enforced martial law during his tenure as
President of Indonesia
The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...
.
See also
*
Military coup
*
Military regime
*
Martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
*
Military government
A military government is any government that is administered by a military, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue or by an occupying power. It is usually administered by military personnel.
Types of m ...
*
Military occupation
Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling pow ...
*
Military coups in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has undergone several changes of government since the Proclamation of Bangladeshi Independence, Proclamation of Independence in 1971. Between the first recorded coup in August 1975 and the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt, Bangladesh has ...
*
Military coups in Pakistan
Coup d'état, Military coups in Pakistan began in 1958 when military army chief Ayub Khan, Muhammad Ayub Khan overthrew and exiled president Iskandar Ali Mirza. Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan has spent several decades under military rule ...
*
Coups d'état in Sudan
*
Military coups in Nigeria
Since Nigeria became independent in 1960, there have been five military coups. Between 1966 and 1999, Nigeria was ruled by a military government without interruption, apart from a short-lived return to democracy under the Second Republic of 1 ...
*
Military coups in Argentina
References
External links
* {{cite journal , last=Sayeed , first=Khalid B. , date=May 1959 , title=Martial Law Administration in Pakistan , journal=Far Eastern Survey , publisher=Institute of Pacific Relations , volume=28 , issue=5 , pages=72–79 , jstor=3024211 , doi=10.2307/3024211
Bangladesh (1975-77)Martial law in Bangladesh
Heads of government
Government of Bangladesh
Presidents of Bangladesh
Political terminology in Pakistan
Military terminology of Pakistan
Continuity of government in Pakistan
Pakistani military appointments