Zia’s legacy honoured on 44th death anniv

Staff Reporter :

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its supporters across the country solemnly observed the 44th death anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman yesterday, honouring the legacy of the party’s founder through tributes, charity, and remembrance.

Ziaur Rahman, a key figure in the country’s Liberation War and a former president, was assassinated on 30 May 1981 in Chattogram during a failed military coup. More than four decades later, his memory continues to evoke strong sentiments not only within the BNP but across the wider political spectrum.

From the early hours of the day, BNP leaders and activists gathered at Zia’s grave at Chandrima Udyan in Dhaka, where they laid floral wreaths. The party flag was flown at half-mast at its central office in Naya Paltan, alongside national and black flags, in a symbolic gesture of mourning.

The day’s commemorations included milad mahfils, Quran recitations, and food distribution for the underprivileged in various locations across the capital.
Speaking to reporters, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia paid tribute to her late husband.

“Ziaur Rahman sacrificed his life for the establishment of democracy and the safeguarding of Bangladesh’s sovereignty,” she said. Describing him as “the architect of democracy, independence, and development,” she highlighted his vision for a self-reliant and unified nation.

Zia’s political philosophy, notably his articulation of “Bangladeshi Nationalism,” extended beyond rhetoric. In the uncertain years following independence, when national institutions were fragile and identity in flux, Zia sought to root the republic in territorial sovereignty and statehood. His concept of nationalism was institutional and existential rather than merely linguistic or cultural.

At a commemorative event near the High Court Mazar, BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed described Ziaur Rahman as “a reflection of Bangladesh’s history.”

“Zia was born for the independence of this nation and became a martyr in defence of it. He introduced multiparty democracy and laid the foundation for judicial independence through the formation of the Judicial Council,” he noted.

Other senior BNP figures also paid tribute throughout the day. Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan described Zia as “a symbol of honesty and integrity,” noting that he was not only a war hero but also a visionary leader who guided the country through post-war recovery. “He assumed responsibility during a national crisis and led with courage, wisdom, and patriotism,” he said.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, another senior BNP leader, participated in a charity event at the DCC Market in Gulshan-2, where meals were distributed to the underprivileged. “The people loved Zia because he genuinely loved them,” he remarked. “His leadership was embraced because it was rooted in sincerity.”

Born on 19 January 1936 in Bogura, Ziaur Rahman rose through the ranks of the Pakistan Army and played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s independence. On 26 March 1971, amid the collapse of central authority, he declared the country’s independence via a makeshift radio transmission from Kalurghat in Chattogram. Though symbolic, the declaration stirred the nation into resistance.

Following the war, Zia commanded Sector 11 and was awarded the Bir Uttam, the nation’s second-highest gallantry award. He later became army chief and, amid the political upheaval of the mid-1970s, assumed the presidency in 1977. In 1978, he founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which would emerge as one of the two principal political parties in the country.

Zia is credited with reinstating multiparty politics, initiating economic reforms, and restructuring governance. However, his presidency was also marked by political tensions, culminating in his assassination in 1981-an event that once again threw the nation into uncertainty.

To his supporters, Ziaur Rahman remains a leader of rare determination, a nation builder during a period of institutional disarray, and a statesman who redefined the republic’s course. BNP activists across the country marked his death anniversary not only in mourning but as an affirmation of his enduring vision.

Nearly half a century since his passing, Ziaur Rahman’s legacy continues to shape Bangladesh’s political discourse, standing as a lasting, albeit contested, force in the nation’s history.