Anniversary of Džemal Bijedić's Death: Such a Politician Would Be Welcome in BiH Today

It has been 39 years since the death of Džemal Bijedić, one of the most influential Bosniak politicians of that time, who died in a plane crash on January 18, 1977, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

That day, Bijedić was in Belgrade, at the Batajnica airport, seeing off the President of SFRY Josip Broz Tito to Libya. On his return to Sarajevo, his plane hit the Inač hill near Kreševo. Besides Džemal, his wife Razija, associates Zijo Alikalfić and Smajo Hrla, and pilots Stevan Leka and Murat Hanić also died in the accident.

The circumstances under which the plane carrying Bijedić hit the rock have never been fully clarified.

Bijedić was born on April 12, 1917, in Mostar, where he grew up as a descendant of a prominent merchant family. As a high school student, he became interested in the communist movement, which he joined during his studies in Belgrade. In October 1939, he was admitted to SKOJ in Belgrade, and in December 1939 to the CPY in the Mostar organization. He was imprisoned four times, each time in Mostar.

During World War II, he actively participated in the National Liberation War as a member of the Party. After the war, he became Assistant Minister of the Interior of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, then in 1948, head of the Administration for Agitation and Propaganda of the Central Committee of the CPBiH, President of the Assembly of SRBiH, and President of the Federal Executive Council (SIV) in 1971. He also held a number of other positions.

Bijedić was often close to Josip Broz Tito, and was even mentioned as his possible successor, which raised doubts about the accident of the plane crash.

Analysts believe that Bijedić was a politician of international caliber and that today such a profile of an official would be very welcome not only in BiH but also in all countries of the former Yugoslavia, writes NAP.