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Zia ur Rahman the military officer

Monika Jaman
Published on Feb 22, 2023

 

Ziaur Rahman (19 January 1936[1] – 30 May 1981) was the eighth President of Bangladesh, a former army chief and a freedom fighter. After the Pakistani military attacked the Bengali people on 25 March 1971, he captured his Pakistani commander and rebelled and organized armed resistance. Later on March 27, 1971, he read a statement in the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Kalurghat Betar Kendra in Chittagong in support of the declaration of independence of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government awarded him the title of Bir Uttam for his bravery in the Liberation War.However, 50 years after the liberation war, the National Freedom Fighters Council (JAMUKA) decided to cancel the title of Bir Uttam, accusing it of violating the constitution, helping the self-confessed murderers of Sheikh Mujib to leave the country and appointing them to important positions while the Bangladesh Awami League was in power.[4] But later the Minister of Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque said that his title was not cancelled5] After the independence war of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman replaced the acting president Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem on 21st April 1977 and became the president of Bangladesh [6][7][8] On 1st September 1978, he founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was brutally assassinated in Chittagong in a failed military coup on 30 May 1981 after ruling Bangladesh for four years. In 2004, Ziaur Rahman's name came up at number 19 out of 20 greatest Bengalis in the survey conducted by BBC Bangla.[9]