Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has said that the people of Bangladesh are remembering Shaheed Ziaur Rahman with deep respect on this day.
“Shaheed Zia is no longer among us. But I firmly believe that the BNP and other like-minded political parties, following his ideals, will gradually take Bangladesh to the pinnacle of development,” he said.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the Bhola district BNP office on Saturday morning.
Describing democracy as the key to development, the Speaker said, “I hope democracy will be firmly established in Bangladesh and that, by following Zia’s ideals, we will be able to transform the country into a developed and prosperous state.”
“Inspired by the ideals of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, our leader Tarique Rahman has also been greatly motivated. We strongly hope that, by following the path of his parents, he will be able to lead Bangladesh towards progress,” he added.
Referring to the assassination of Ziaur Rahman, he said, “Had the assassins not killed him prematurely, Bangladesh would have become a highly prosperous state today. He would have been able to solve many of the problems that the people of the country continue to face.”
Highlighting Ziaur Rahman's political contributions, the Speaker said, “He is no longer with us, but his nationalist ideology continues to guide Bangladesh. The BNP has come to power four times with the support of the people. Over the past 16 years, former BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has endured considerable oppression and hardship and has worked to establish democracy. Begum Zia is the most popular female leader in Bangladesh.”
Speaking about Ziaur Rahman's international stature, he said, “His statesmanship extended beyond Bangladesh. As a result, leaders of the Muslim world unanimously selected him as a member of the Al-Quds Committee. In other words, Muslim world leaders chose Ziaur Rahman to help mediate disputes within the Muslim world. This is a matter of great pride for Bangladesh.”
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
