Shaheed Ziaur shopon (Dream of martyred Zia)

Ziaur Rahman (Shaheed General Zia)

  • Born: 19 January 1936, Bagbari village, Gabtoli upazila, Bogra district
  • Died: 30 May 1981, Chotrogram but buried in Dhaka (aged 45)
  • Profession: Founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP or Jatiotabadi Dol)
  • National contribution: 7th President of Bangladesh. Sector Commander during Swadhinata Juddho and declared independence of Bangladesh in March 1971.
  • Recognition: Honorary title of 'Shaheed' (martyred). Known as 'Swadhinata Gushok' (Declarer of Independence). Awarded Bir Uttom, Bangladesh's second highest military award.
  • Hasani? Didn't know that! Awarded Hilal-e-Jurat, Pakistan's second highest military award for heroic performance during Indo-Pak war of 1965

Biography

  1. Early life of "Komol", excel in Pakistani military
  2. Family life, pre-liberation
  3. Declaration of Independence, 1975 coup
  4. President of Bangladesh, Islam and nationalism, 'Gram Sarkar', multi-party
  5. Founder of BNP
  6. Assassination

Legacy

  1. Criticism, Jatiyo Biplob o Sanghati Dibosh, Zia Smriti Jadughar, Swadhinata Purushkar
  2. Muktijuddha Ziaur Rahman Hall (DU), Shaheed Zia Smriti (Memorial) Complex, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMCH)
  3. What others say about Ziaur Rahman (Shaheed General Zia)...

Timeline of few major events in Ziaur Rahman's life

  • 1940s - Early education in Hare School, Calcutta (India) and Academy School, Karachi (Pakistan)
  • 1953 - Joins Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, as an officer cadet
  • 18 September 1955 - Graduate from PMA in top 10% of class and commissioned as Second Lieutenant in Pakistan Army
  • 1957 - Transferred to East Bengal Regiment (EBR)
  • August 1960 - 24-year-old Zia marries 15-year-old Khaleda Majumder 'Putul'
  • 1965 - Participate in Indo-Pak War as commander of a company unit of 300-500 soldiers. Awarded Hial-e-Jurat (Crescent of Courage), Pakistan's second highest military award, for bravery
  • 1966 - Appointed military instructor at PMA and help raise two Bengali battalions: 8th and 9th Bengals
  • 20 November 1967 - First child, son Tarique Rahman, born
  • 1969 - Join 2nd EBR as second-in-command in Joydevpur, Gazipur (near Dhaka)
  • October 1970 - Promoted to Major and transferred to 8th EBR in Chittagong
  • 27 March 1971 - 35-year-old Zia publicly declares independence of newly-formed Bangladesh from Pakistan via Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Kalurghat radio station, Chittagong
  • April 1971 - Designated Sector No. 1 (Chotrogram-Noakhali) and Z-Force Commander and lead Bangladesh to victory in nine month Sangram (War) with (West) Pakistan
  • 1972 - 73 - Various military promotions including Colonel (February 1972), Deputy Chief of Army Staff (June 1972), Brigadier (1973) and Major General (10 October 1973)
  • 3 November 1975 - House arrested by Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Colonel Shafat Jamil following revolt against the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and family in August 1975
  • 7 November 1975 - Freed by Colonel Abu Taher who staged a third coup, 'Sipoy-Janata Biplob'
  • 1975 - Appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Deputy to Justice Sayem, the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA)
  • 21 July 1976 - Colonel Taher executed by military court after being arrested under Zia's command
  • 19 November 1976 - Become CMLA as Justice Sayem becomes President
  • 21 April 1977 - Becomes 7th President of Bangladesh
  • 30 April 1977 - Initated a '19-Point Programme' and Gram Sarkar (Village Councils) in 1980 for greater economic growth throughout country
  • 2 October 1977 - Rebel soldiers fail to assassinate President Zia in his presidential house in Dhaka
  • 1977 - Secularism removed from Constitution of Bangladesh and replaced with "trust and faith in Almighty Allah" under Zia's leadership. "Bismillah-ir-Rahmanir Rahim" (In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Beneficient) added above Preamble of Constitution
  • February 1978 - Floated 'Jatiyatabdi Ganatantric Dal' (JAGODAL) with vice president Justice Sattar as head. JAGODAL merged with 6 other parties to form 'Jatiyatabadi Front' (Nationalist Front)
  • 3 June 1978 - Wins presidential election, securing over 76% ov votes
  • 1 September 1978 - 'Bangladesh Nationalist Party' (BNP, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Dal) formed and Zia elected as Chairman
  • 1979 - 80 - Conceptualised and proposed an organisation of South Asian nation which later became SAARC
  • 30 May 1981 - Assassinated in abortive army coup in Chittagong Circuit House. 45-year-old Zia murdered along with 6 bodyguards and 2 aides. Buried in Rangunia upozila, 22 miles from Circuit House. Prime suspect, Major General Abul Manzoor, murdered three days later.Till date, nobody officially held responsible for killing
  • 1 April 1981 - Body dugged-up, returned to Dhaka and buried in Chandrima Uddyan next to Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban (National Parliament). Over a million people attended funeral