Ziaur Rahman

Ziaur Rahman; }} (19 January 193630 May 1981) was a Bangladeshi military officer, freedom fighter and politician who served as the sixth President of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. One of the leading figures of country's Liberation War, he broadcast the Bangladeshi declaration of independence on 27 March 1971 from Chittagong.}} He was the founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He previously served as the third chief of army staff from 1975 to 1978 with a minor break.

Ziaur, sometimes known as Zia, was born in Gabtali and trained at the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad. He served as a commander in the Pakistan Army in the Second Kashmir War against the Indian Army for which he was awarded the Hilal-e-Jurrat from the Pakistani government. Ziaur was a prominent Bangladesh Forces commander during the country's Liberation War from Pakistan in 1971. He broadcast the declaration of independence on 27 March from Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra radio station in Kalurghat, Chittagong. During the war in 1971, Ziaur was a Bangladesh Forces Commander of BDF Sector 1 initially, and from June as BDF Commander of BDF Sector 11 of the Bangladesh Forces and the Brigade Commander of Z Force from mid-July. After the war, Ziaur became a brigade commander in Bangladesh Army and later the deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff of Bangladesh Army. His ascent to leadership of the country resulted from the political crisis that had begun with the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh in 15 August 1975 military coup, followed by 3 November coup and then finally the 7 November coup (the Sipahi–Janata Revolution) within the military to gain control at the helm. Ziaur Rahman gained the ''de facto'' power as head of the government under martial law imposed by the Justice Sayem government. He took over the presidency in 1977.

As president in 1978, Ziaur Rahman founded Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He reinstated multi-party politics, freedom of the press, free speech and free markets and accountability. He initiated mass irrigation and food production programmes, including social programmes to uplift the lives of the people. His government initiated efforts to create a regional group in South Asia, which later became SAARC in 1985. He improved Bangladesh's relations with the West and China, and departed from Sheikh Mujib's close alignment with India. Domestically, Ziaur faced as many as twenty-one coup attempts for which military tribunals were set up, resulting in at least 200 soldiers of Army and Air Force officers being executed, earning him a reputation of being "strict" and "ruthless" amongst international observers. Throughout his military career, Ziaur Rahman was awarded two gallantry awards for two campaigns he participated in; he was awarded the Hilal-i-Jurat for the Indo-Pak War in 1965, and Bir Uttom in 1972 for the Bangladesh Liberation War. He retired from the Bangladesh Army with the rank of Lt. General in 1978.

Ziaur Rahman's death created a divided opinion on his legacy in Bangladeshi politics. Awami League supporters vilify him for alleged connections to Sheikh Mujib's assassination and controversial actions during his presidency.}} Critics argue that the Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian regime politically motivated the negative portrayal of Ziaur's legacy.}} Nevertheless, Zia is generally credited for his role in the Liberation War, stabilizing Bangladesh, industrializing agriculture, and fostering regional cooperation.}} His political party, the BNP, remains a major force alongside its rival, the Awami League, with his widow, Khaleda Zia, leading the party and serving three terms as prime minister. Provided by Wikipedia