National Mourning Day
Khandaker Delwar Hossain, BNP(Khaleda) Secretary General, while talking to newsmen on the eve of observing National Mourning Day demanded that Ziaur Rahman's death anniversary be also declared what he called "national mourning day". This meant that the BNP supporters want to weigh Ziaur Rahman on the same scale with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation. The amount of individual contribution to the war of liberation varies from person to person. Our liberation war did not start on a single day all of a sudden on 26 March 1971.
It started in 1952 through the Language Movement. So, there were many contributors from among politicians, intellectuals, writers, teachers, students and judges. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani bade farewell to Pakistani rulers long before March 26.
It was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who with the help of seven crore people brought the climax and declared our independence. General Ziaur Rahman joined the liberation war from the day of climax. Before that he was a junior military officer in the Pakistani Army. Col. Osmani divided the war front into 11 sectors and Ziaur Rahman was posted as one of the Sector Commanders.
The Bangladesh government in exile returned to the liberated soil and started functioning. The new government rewarded Ziaur Rahman for his contribution and elevated him to the position of deputy commander in chief of the newly formed Bangladesh Army i.e. second to the then Col. Shafiullah. There were 9 other sector commanders who were recognised and rewarded for their contributions.
Ziaur Rahman came to the limelight of Bangladesh politics after the brutal killing of the father of the nation on 15th August 1975. There were many stories of Zia's rise which are known to everyone. The coup plotters, failing to run the country, installed Gen. Ziaur Rahman as Martial Law Administrator. And this is the beginning of his carrier as politician.
If Bangladesh is to declare his death anniversary as national mourning day and national holiday, there are many of his colleagues who deserve the same rights and privileges from the state.
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