President Zia’s vision and legacy in shaping a self-reliant nation

After independence, Bangladesh emerged as a war-ravaged state, economically fragile and administratively unstable.

Agricultural production had collapsed, industries were limited and largely dysfunctional, foreign exchange reserves were minimal, and the population lived under the constant pressure of food shortages, famine-like conditions, and widespread corruption.

In such a context, governance was not merely a political challenge; it was fundamentally a struggle to preserve state stability, rebuild the economy, and restore public confidence.

Against this backdrop, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman played a pivotal role in shaping a framework for state reconstruction and self-reliance, introducing a significant political, economic, and welfare-oriented development.

Ziaur Rahman’s state philosophy was based on development-oriented politics and people-centered economic reconstruction, where politics served development and public welfare alongside governance.

He promoted a bottom-up development model, placing rural communities and local economies at the centre of national progress.

Recognising agriculture and villages as the backbone of the economy, he introduced initiatives such as canal excavation, expanded irrigation, agricultural credit, and productivity enhancement to achieve food self-sufficiency and bring fallow land under cultivation.

A key feature of his approach was community participation, aiming to reduce state dependency by involving people as active partners in the development process.

His (Zia’s) 19-point programme was a structured framework for rebuilding post-independence Bangladesh and advancing self-reliance.

Faced with a war-damaged economy and administrative instability, he proposed an integrated plan that balanced development, production, and social justice.

The programme prioritised agriculture and industrial growth, anti-corruption measures, population control, expansion of education, women’s participation, rural development, and administrative decentralisation.

It placed strong emphasis on revitalising the rural economy and strengthening local-level development initiatives, alongside long-term capacity building through education and human resource development.

It also reflected progressive thinking on women’s economic and social empowerment.

Overall, the 19-point programme functioned not merely as a political manifesto but as a development framework combining welfare-oriented policies with a production-driven, self-reliant economic vision aimed at ensuring stability and growth.

Ziaur Rahman’s tenure established key policy foundations for Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry by shifting the economy from state control toward private sector expansion.

He prioritized an entrepreneurial base and an export-oriented industrial policy to promote industrialisation and job creation.

His policies encouraged private investment, foreign collaboration, and export-led production, creating an enabling environment for future industrial growth.

These reforms later supported the rapid expansion of the garment sector, which became a major source of foreign exchange earnings and significantly boosted women’s employment and socio-economic transformation.

President Zia saw relations with the Middle East as both a diplomatic and economic strategy.

During his rule, Bangladesh strengthened ties with Muslim countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

This led to growing employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers abroad, which became a major source of foreign exchange through remittances.

The inflow of remittances strengthened the national economy, supported rural livelihoods, and helped build foreign exchange reserves, making it a key element of his long-term economic strategy.

A clear continuity is visible between Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman’s 19-point programme and Tarique Rahman’s 31-point reform plan, both grounded in people-centred development, economic strengthening, and an accountable state structure.

Both frameworks emphasise decentralisation, with the 19-point programme focusing on strengthening local governance and the 31-point plan extending it through participatory governance and equitable resource distribution.

They also share a common focus on employment and a production-oriented economy, promoting private sector growth, entrepreneurship, and investment.

In human development, the 19-point programme prioritised literacy, while the 31-point plan advances this into skills development and technology-based education. Both also reflect social justice goals, including welfare, equity, and good governance.

Overall, the 19-point programme laid the foundation of self-reliant development, while the 31-point plan builds on it as a modern, forward-looking framework.

Nearly five decades after its formulation, Ziaur Rahman’s 19-point programme remains relevant in Bangladesh’s development discourse. In light of contemporary economic and administrative challenges, several of its core principles have regained significance.

Today, Bangladesh continues to face unemployment, inflation, income inequality, rural-urban disparities, and administrative inefficiency—challenges that echo the post-independence context in which the programme was designed.

Its emphasis on a production-oriented economy, expansion of agriculture and industry, and encouragement of private initiative remains highly pertinent, particularly in addressing persistent joblessness among educated youth.

The programme’s focus on increasing national production and utilising local resources also offers guidance in managing inflationary pressure and ensuring economic stability.

Similarly, its call for decentralisation and strengthening local government is increasingly relevant in addressing structural inequalities between urban and rural areas.

Its vision of a self-reliant rural economy continues to hold importance, especially in promoting rural industrialisation, agro-based entrepreneurship, and balanced regional development.

The anti-corruption stance of the 19-point programme also remains vital, as good governance and transparency are essential for ensuring equitable development outcomes.

Finally, its emphasis on youth development through education, skills training, and productive engagement aligns closely with current national priorities. Overall, the 19-point programme represents a forward-looking development framework that continues to offer policy relevance in addressing Bangladesh’s contemporary challenges.

(The writer is a Professor, Institute of Social Welfare and Research, University of Dhaka)