Laftanar Janar Hussain Muhammad Ershad ya kwace mulki a Bangladesh a ranar 24 ga Maris 1982, a cikin "rikicin siyasa, tattalin arziki da al'umma."Sakamakon rashin gamsuwa da salon mulkin shugaba Sattar na lokacin da kuma kin shigar da sojoji gaba cikin harkokin siyasa, Ershad ya dakatar da kundin tsarin mulkin kasar, ya ayyana dokar ta-baci, ya kuma fara sauye-sauyen tattalin arziki.Wadannan sauye-sauyen sun hada da mayar da tattalin arzikin kasar da ke karkashin ikon gwamnati da kuma gayyato masu zuba jari daga kasashen waje, wanda ake ganin wani mataki ne mai kyau na tunkarar kalubalen tattalin arzikin Bangladesh mai tsanani.Ershad ya zama shugaban kasa a shekara ta 1983, yana mai da matsayinsa na babban hafsan soji da kuma Babban Jami'in Shari'a na Martial (CMLA).Ya yi yunkurin shigar da jam’iyyun adawa a zaben kananan hukumomi a karkashin dokar soji, amma da yake fuskantar kin amincewarsu, ya lashe zaben raba gardama na kasa a watan Maris na 1985 kan shugabancinsa tare da karancin fitowar jama’a.Kafuwar jam'iyyar Jatiya ta nuna yunkurin Ershad zuwa ga daidaita siyasa.Duk da kauracewa zaben da manyan jam'iyyun adawa suka yi, zaben 'yan majalisar dokoki a watan Mayun 1986 ya sa jam'iyyar Jatiya ta samu rinjaye mai yawa, tare da shigar da jam'iyyar Awami League ta kara dagewa.Gabanin zaben shugaban kasa a watan Oktoba, Ershad ya yi ritaya daga aikin soja.An fafata a zaben ne sakamakon zargin magudin zabe da kuma karancin fitowar jama'a, kodayake Ershad ya lashe kashi 84% na kuri'un.An ɗage dokar soja a cikin Nuwamba 1986 bayan gyare-gyaren tsarin mulki don halatta ayyukan mulkin soja.Sai dai kuma yunkurin da gwamnati ta yi a watan Yulin 1987 na zartar da kudirin doka na wakilcin soja a kananan hukumomi ya haifar da hadakar 'yan adawa, wanda ya haifar da zanga-zanga da dama da kuma kama 'yan adawa.Martanin Ershad shine ya ayyana dokar ta-baci da rusa majalisar dokoki, tare da tsara sabon zabe a watan Maris na 1988. Duk da kauracewa zaben da 'yan adawa suka yi, jam'iyyar Jatiya ta samu gagarumin rinjaye a wadannan zabukan.A cikin watan Yunin 1988, wani gyare-gyaren kundin tsarin mulkin kasar ya mayar da Musulunci ya zama addinin kasa na Bangladesh, a cikin cece-kuce da adawa.Duk da alamun kwanciyar hankali na farko a siyasance, adawa da mulkin Ershad ya tsananta a ƙarshen shekara ta 1990, wanda ke fama da yajin aikin gama-gari da tarukan jama'a, wanda ya haifar da tabarbarewar yanayin doka da oda.A shekara ta 1990, jam'iyyun adawa a Bangladesh karkashin jagorancin Khaleda Zia ta BNP da Sheikh Hasina ta Awami League, sun hada kai da shugaba Ershad.Zanga-zangarsu da yajin aikin da dalibai da jam'iyyun Musulunci irinsu Jama'atu Islamiyya suka goyi bayan sun gurgunta kasar.Ershad ya yi murabus a ranar 6 ga Disamba, 1990. Bayan tashe tashen hankula, gwamnatin rikon kwarya ta gudanar da zaɓe na gaskiya da adalci a ranar 27 ga Fabrairu, 1991.