He promised a general election in February 1977 in a presidential speech addressed to the nation,[8] but in November 1976, with the country in a dire situation with no stability and security, indefinitely postponed it and relinquished his CMLA duty with Zia nominated to succeed.

[9][10] In June, the President's special assistant Abdus Sattar was promoted to the office of vice-president and on 9 December, the council of advisers was reorganised with three dismissals and seven new appointments.

[9] After coming to power, Zia immediately moved to restore law and order in the country by strengthening the police force, practically doubling its size and arranging for their proper training, as well as order in the armed forces and withdrew the ban on the newspapers inaugurating the free flow of news by making the information media free and without government interference.

[13] He achieved a landslide victory against his wartime superior, retired commander-in-chief MAG Osmani,[10] whose candidacy was supported by the then-dominant Awami League and five other parties of the socialist "Ganatantrik Oikkya Jote ("Alliance of Democratic Unity")".

[13] The cabinet was dissolved on 29 June 1978, once Zia formed his provisional Council of Ministers before the pending general election scheduled to be held next year.

[16][17] Mujib, along with his resident family members, were killed during the coup but was survived by his two then-expat daughters, one of them being future prime minister Sheikh Hasina.