Photo by Salauddin Nahid

Ziaur Rahman gave our nation a clear identity. After independence, our national identity was declared as ‘Bangali’ and expectedly this created a lot of confusion. This identity ignored the non-Bangali citizens including the indigenous people of different part of Bangladesh as well as the urdu speaking citizens. Ziaur Rahman first coined the word ‘Bangladeshi’ as our national identity and successive government since then has maintained this identity. He also presented his vision of Bangladeshi nationalism and sutured together the geographic, historic, religious, cultural and political components of our nationhood. He based his politics on nationalism at a time when nationalism has not yet become a pan-global craze. In this context he can be called the father of Bangladeshi nationalism or father of our current national identity.

 

Bangladesh Former President Ziaur Rahman,Opposition Leader Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, BNP Senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman, BNP late secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Brigadier A S M Hannan Shah, Nazrul Islam Khan, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah, BNP Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farooque,

 

leaders of BNP’s associate organization Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, Jatiyatabadi Tati Dal, Jatiyatabadi Ulema Dal, Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha Dal, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal, Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, Jatiyatabadi Matsyajibi Dal, Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (JASAS), DAB and Zia Sangskritik Sangstha

 

 

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