From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Džemal Bijedić (April 12, 1917 – January 18,
1977) was a Yugoslav
Communist politician
from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the
prime minister of Yugoslavia from 1971 until his death.
Early
life
Džemal Bijedić was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (then
part of Austria-Hungary) to Adem and Zarifa from
the famous merchant family Bijedić. He finished his elementary
education as well as high school in Mostar, and graduated from the
University of
Belgrade Faculty of Law, where he joined the communist party in
1939. After Nazi
Germany invaded Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941 Bijedić joined
the Yugoslav Partisans under the
leadership of Yugoslav communist leader Josip Broz Tito. Bijedić remained in
the partisans until the end of the People's Liberation War in 1945.
Politics
After the liberation, he performed many duties involving
responsibility, in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia. From
1967, he was the president of the SR BIH Assembly ( which was by
the constitutional regulations of the time the function of the
president of the Republic). From July 1971 until his death in 1977,
he was the Prime Minister of the SFRY government.
Career
- President of the People's Assembly of the Socialist Republic of
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1967–1971)
- President of the Federal Executive Council of the Socialist
Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (1971–1977) i.e. Prime
Minister.
Death
On January 18, 1977 Džemal Bijedić, his wife Razija and six
others were killed when their Learjet 25 crashed on the Inač mountain near
Kreševo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
plane took off from Batajnica Air Base in Belgrade and was en route to
Sarajevo when it crashed,
ostensibly due to poor weather conditions. Persistent rumors that
the crash was not an accident but rather the result of foul play at
the hands of his Serbian rivals has persisted although it has not
been proven.[1]
Legacy
A significant progress in the economy of the municipalities of
Herzegovina was made under his leadership. He worked on
strengthening of statehood of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and he was one of
its most merited founders and builders. It is his credit that
Mostar, the city he endlessly loved, got its University. The memory
of Džemal Bijedić permanently remained in his native town of
Mostar. As a sign of gratitude for all that he had done for
Mostar,twenty seven years ago, the citizens of Mostar decided to
name the University in Mostar, "The Džemal Bijedić" University in
Mostar. Bijedić and his wife were survived by their two sons and
one daughter
External
links