BNP Standing Committee Member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan said after independence, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had established war-ravaged and democracy-deprived Bangladesh on a strong economic foundation.
“It was Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, who also introduced the politics of development and production, which not only addressed the crises of that time but also paved the way for the economic prosperity of today’s modern Bangladesh,” he said.
Khan made these remarks in an interview with the media on the eve of the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Ziaur Rahman.
Mentioning that Ziaur Rahman transformed Bangladesh from a “basket case” into a “success case” during his three-and-a-half-year rule, Khan said, “Moving away from the post-independence controlled or command economy, he introduced the concept of a free-market economy and emphasized utilizing the innovative potential of millions of people in this country.”
He added that through canal excavation programme and an agricultural revolution, Bangladesh achieved self-sufficiency in main staple food item rice for the first time and even gained the ability to export surplus rice abroad.
“The foundations of Bangladesh’s two major economic driving forces today—the ready-made garment (RMG) industry and remittances sent by expatriates—are the result of the far-sighted vision of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. By introducing innovative initiatives, including back-to-back L/C facilities for the garment industry, he made this sector competitive in the global market.”
The BNP leader also noted that Ziaur Rahman placed equal importance on social and technological development alongside infrastructure development.
“Understanding the importance of women’s and children’s rights in the global context of that time, he established the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. Realizing the significance of science and technology, he opened a special division in the President’s Secretariat and encouraged researchers toward modern scientific research,” he said.
He further added that by involving students in literacy programme, Ziaur Rahman initiated a social revolution in the education sector aimed at eradicating illiteracy.
Khan said that during Ziaur Rahman’s tenure, Bangladesh’s foreign policy moved beyond the influence of India and the Soviet Union and developed strong relations with the United States and China. Bangladesh also strengthened ties with the Muslim world.
“To reinforce relations with Muslim countries based on Islamic solidarity, he added an article to the Constitution of Bangladesh,” he added.
He also said that Ziaur Rahman played a pioneering role in the formation of the South Asian regional alliance SAARC. Moreover, during his tenure, Bangladesh was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Khan said, “Forty-five years have passed since Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman left us. The newer generations that came afterward know very little about him. That’s why his true philosophy of life must be presented before them.”
He said, “Everyone in the country knows who Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was, yet even I could not know him directly. I knew him as a second generation. As the first generation, my father- Abdul Momen Khan- who served as Food Minister in Ziaur Rahman’s cabinet, knew him. The third generation of citizens still remains unfamiliar with him.”
Recalling his first meeting with Ziaur Rahman, the veteran BNP leader said, “When I first met Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, I was a teacher at Dhaka University. He invited the university team to Bangabhaban and said he had called us there to seek advice. Despite being an immensely powerful President, he sought advice from teachers.”
“He wanted to know from us what Bangladesh’s NRB (Non-Resident Bangladeshi) policy should be. At that time, we gave him several suggestions regarding NRB issues, which he gladly accepted. This proves that he had no arrogance of power whatsoever,” he added.
The former BNP minister, who had seen Ziaur Rahman from close quarters, said, “We lost President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, at a time when people aspiring for development and welfare were actively engaged under his capable leadership in achieving progress and peace, and were inspired by hopes of positive change. Bangladesh had begun to gain dignity and self-reliance at home and abroad.”
He said that national and international conspiracies on May 30, 1981, not only took away Ziaur Rahman but also halted the tide of development and progress in the country.
He added that the unprecedented honor shown through the namaz-e-janaza attended by lakhs of tearful people may never be surpassed by anyone else.
He further said, “When the people of this country were devastated by the brutal killings of the Pakistani occupation forces, they became inspired and courageous upon hearing ‘I am Major Zia speaking’. Similarly, during another severe crisis on November 7, 1975, the people felt reassured upon hearing ‘I am Major General Zia speaking.’”
“Everyone knows these truths, which is why the memory of Shaheed Zia could not be erased and never will be,” he added.
Mentioning that the concept of a “self-reliant Bangladesh” introduced by Ziaur Rahman remains equally relevant today, Khan said, “The founder of BNP, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, kept nothing for himself or his family.”
“He was a great patriotic freedom fighter, a peace-builder of the motherland, the architect of long-term prosperity, the restorer of multiparty democracy—the golden achievement of the Liberation War—and a reliable beacon of hope for building a livable and dignified state. At a critical juncture in the nation’s history, he took responsibility for the country and created history,” he added.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
