Nation mourns loss of its helmsman

The nation mourns the death of President Md Zillur Rahman. Massive outpouring of condolences from all quarters, irrespective of political affiliation, reflects the high esteem he had enjoyed as a seasoned politician. This is because he was always committed to the cause of Bangladesh. With his sad demise, the nation has lost a guide in these critical times. He was needed at this time most because the country is in search of a personality who can unify the nation at this critical juncture. Zillur Rahman participated in all the movements that led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign country. Playing an active role in the great Language Movement in 1952, he presided over a student gathering held at the historic Amtala of Dhaka University on February 19, 1952 demanding Bangla as the state language. The work plan of February 21 was taken from there. Zillur Rahman was one of the 11 prominent student leaders who had met at the pond-side between Fazlul Huq Hall and Dhaka Hall on February 20, 1952 and took the decision to break Section 144. His image was so clean that in 1953, he was elected as the Vice-President of Student Union of Fazlul Huq Hall of Dhaka University uncontested. The university authorities expelled him from the university and snatched his Masters Degree due to his active participation in the Language Movement. However, in the face of vigorous protests from students, the university authorities were compelled to return his degree. Zillur Rahman came in close touch with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his studies in Dhaka Intermediate College in 1946, when he was involved with publicity work on referendum in Sylhet during the British rule. He took part in all mass movements, including the movement against the military rule in 1962, Six-point movement in 1966 and mass upsurge in 1969, as a close associate of Bangabandhu. The 1971 Liberation War saw him as one of its organisers. He was associated with the operation of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and publication of a newspaper named Joy Bangla, the mouth-piece of the Mujibnagar government. During the 1971 war, the occupying Pakistan government cancelled his membership of the National Assembly, sentenced him, in absentia, to a 20-year jail term and confiscated his property. In 1972, just after the victory in the war of liberation, Zillur Rahman as a member of the Constituent Assembly actively took part in framing the Constitution of Bangladesh. He was elected MP six times from his home constituency where he was virtually the lone politician to earn overwhelming support of people. As an honest and veteran Awami Leaguer, he had to hold the reins of the party as general secretary several times. Zillur Rahman led the party in a very crucial time with courage and foresight after the arrest of Sheikh Hasina on July 16, 2007 following the promulgation of the State of Emergency on January 11 that year. During Hasina's 11-month-long captive life in special prison and six-month stay abroad for treatment, he played the most vital role as the Acting President of the Awami League in keeping the party united. Zillur Rahman's death has left a very big void in Bangladesh's politics. That he was respected as the head of state by all was apparent when even the opposition cancelled its planned general strike in Dhaka division scheduled for Thursday and put off all other programmes. The greatest tribute that politicians today can pay to Zillur Rahman would be to forge a broad unity across political divides in order to steer the nation clear of all the dark clouds that hover over its future.