Limited research on Ziaur Rahman a 'historical injustice', says Fakhrul

Local Government Minister and BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said research on life, work and political philosophy of martyred President Ziaur Rahman remains inadequate, stressing the need for comprehensive academic studies on his contributions, reports UNB.

"Whenever we try to discuss martyred President Ziaur Rahman, it becomes clear that research on him is still very limited. In my view, this amounts to a certain injustice to history," he said while addressing a photo exhibition and discussion organised at the Jatiya Press Club marking the 45th death anniversary of BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman.

Fakhrul said Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan, who was present at the event, now has an opportunity to take initiatives for conducting in-depth research on Ziaur Rahman's life, work and political thoughts.

"There is a need for a high-standard research project that thoroughly examines his entire life, achievements and his vision," he said.

At the beginning of his speech, Fakhrul referred to the FIFA World Cup and said he had watched the match of his favourite team, Brazil, the previous night.

"I still enjoy sports. Perhaps that is why I still feel young, not in age, but certainly in spirit," he said.

Speaking about books written on Ziaur Rahman, Fakhrul said the work of late journalist Mahfuz Ullah remains, in his view, one of the best research-based publications on the former president.

"Among the books I have read, Mahfuz Ullah's book impressed me the most. It is based on extensive research and offers valuable insights for those who want to understand Ziaur Rahman," he said.

Fakhrul said that although Ziaur Rahman served for only three and a half to four years, he initiated reforms and development efforts in almost every sector of the state.

Zia's greatest achievements were establishing a distinct Bangladeshi national identity, he said. "I am a Bangladeshi. I have a separate identity. I am not a Bengali from West Bengal, I am a citizen of this land. Through the concept of Bangladeshi nationalism, he established that distinct identity," he said.

Fakhrul also highlighted Ziaur Rahman's efforts to revive Bangladesh's economy following the devastating famine of 1974.

BSS adds: Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Sunday said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had freed media removing all barriers to it.

He said if Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had not been born, the question would remain in history whether the media would have been able to be brought out of the dark alley into the open sky, in which the country's media had entered in 1975 through the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution and the black law of June 16 to abolish newspapers.

"The media of Bangladesh should remember Shaheed Ziaur Rahman with respect for ages, because he worked as the main patron of independent media," he said.

The information minister made the remarks while speaking as a special speaker at a discussion titled 'Mass Media and Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman' organised at Jatiya Press Club here marking the martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.

Recalling the historic leadership of Shaheed Zia, Swapon said on March 25, 1971, at 2:00 am, a 36-year-old Bangali major declared independence against an established military power without any instructions or provocation.

Relying only on his own honesty, values, consciousness and patriotism, Ziaur Rahman appeared before the cantonment and the country's people as a man of solution in times of crisis, he said.

The information minister said those who are aware of history know that if he had not declared war on that night of March 25, the nation would have been directionless.

"Similarly, if the soldiers-people had not freed him from captivity on November 7, there would have been no peace in the country," he said.

Swapon said despite being a military officer, Ziaur Rahman's mentality and attitude proved that he was a great statesman.