Ziaur Rahman

Chief of Army Staff and President of Bangladesh (1936-1981)

Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, (Bengali: জিয়াউর রহমান (Ziaur Rôhman)) (January 19, 1936May 30, 1981) was a hero of the Bangladesh Liberation War, a retired three star Lieutenant General of the Bangladesh Army and a statesman. He was the 7th President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981. He founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the two largest political parties in the country. He is popularly known as Shaheed President Zia, meaning martyred Zia, in reference to his assassination in 1981.

Ziaur Rahman in 1979

Quotes edit

  • This is Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. I, Major Ziaur Rahman, on behalf of Bangobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hereby declare that the independent People's Republic of Bangladesh has been established. I have taken command as the temporary Head of the Republic. I call upon all Bengalis to rise against the attack by the West Pakistani Army. We shall fight to the last to free our Motherland. By the grace of Allah, victory is ours. Joy Bangla.
    • Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh on March 27, 1971 at 7:45 PM.
  • Do you think I wish to hang Taher? Well, I don’t. But the Law of the Land should carry its Course. And he (Colonel Abu Taher) did not send any Mercy Petition and so what is there for me to do?
  • We must not be beggars. Why should we beg? We have something to offer.
    • During an interview with The New York Times reporter, Kevin Rafferty in October 1976.
    • Economic Hope For Bangladesh (10 October 1976). Retrieved on 2010-11-19.
  • To the Non-Proliferation Treaty, was based on a firm conviction that there can be peace only through the elimination of all nuclear weapons, moved towards the limitation of nuclear armaments and other weapons of mass destruction, are important steps in creating an atmosphere of trust and the relaxation of tensions.
  • Eventually an effective political ideology cannot be based on any certain religion. Religion can offer some contribution, but an entire political activism cannot be oriented in accordance with religion. Political history of this region has the example of religion-based politics attempted during Pakistan era and it failed. Not only in Islam, people in other religions of many regions try to keep on politics based on religion. It's not right. It's important and it should be remembered.

Quotes about Zia edit

  • It's hard to imagine what would have happened to Bangladesh had Ziaur Rahman been assassinated in 1975 instead of 1981. A failed state on the model of Afghanistan or Liberia might well have resulted. Zia saved Bangladesh from that fate.

External links edit

 
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