Let Zia rest in peace
People say, or the saying goes, 'Don't speak ill of the dead'. But it is our ill luck that our MPs get themselves locked in debates over the two dead leaders calling them 'murderers' and that too in the sacred House of the Nation defying the ethical convention to be observed there and skipping over the burning issues of the nation that are pushing us behind in almost every sector. It I was too bad for an AL lawmaker to raise the issue of late President Ziaur Rahman that it was not his corpse that was buried in the Chandrima or Zia Uddayn and he reiterated his claim. His claim and insistence on that is simply unscrupulous and a futile attempt that brewed up trouble in the House leading to the opposition's walk-outs. He should have reckoned with the sentiment of a greater majority of the people who heartily love and respect Zia, and that the people have been visiting the place and praying for him since he was killed and buried there in 1981. You cannot destroy the people's belief and detract them from what is deeply entrenched in them and from the established fact.
Another issue of feud persists in the House is about BNP's claim and clamour that the late Ziaur Rhaman declared the Independence of Bangladesh, so he has to be crowned with the glory of creation of this nation, instead of Bangabandhu, the real architect. Finally the High Court verdict nullified their claim by taking cognisance of the historical truth that Bangabandhu declared Independence. Of course, Ziaur Rahman, at the behest of others, did a great job by announcing the declaration of Independence on 27th March 1971, but our Independence Day is 26th March as was declared by Bangabandhu. During the nine-month long liberation war against the occupation Pakistani forces, nobody heard a word over Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra about Zia, except that he was one of the sector commanders. And Ziaur Rahman who ruled the country, after the assassination of Bangabandhu, first as CMLA and then as President until May 1981 did never try to glorify himself as the 'declarer of Independence'; neither did he show any posture or gesture to put himself on the same pedestal with Bangabandhu. Only after he was done to death in a coup did the then BNP government and the BNP governments under Begum Zia in 1991 and in 2001 began to bring Zia to the forefront and to this end the last BNP government brought Zia's announcement ahead by one day to coincide with our Independence Day! However, Zia, the President of Bangladesh, got killed and got the janaza attended by the greatest multitude of people from all walks of life.
So, let him rest in peace.
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