BNP's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman on Saturday said that Ziaur Rahman entered politics due to the needs of the time, the country, and the prevailing circumstances.
Tarique Rahman made this remark while virtually participating in an event held at the Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Center in Shahbagh, Dhaka.
The event was organized by the Ziaur Rahman Foundation (ZRF) to commemorate the 89th birth anniversary of the BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman.
Tarique Rahman, who is also the Chairman of the foundation, was joined virtually by his wife, Zubaida Rahman, the Vice-Chairperson of the organization.
Speaking at the event titled "Whose Story Is Our Philosophy," Tarique Rahman said: “In the context of the country’s needs and the demands of the time, we see Ziaur Rahman in three distinct roles. First, as a soldier. A soldier’s commitment is to protect the nation and its people. We saw him rise to the occasion when the time came to defend the country’s independence or liberate it from enemy control. It was Ziaur Rahman who issued the call for independence.”
The BNP acting chairman added: “Due to the necessity of the time and the country’s demands, Ziaur Rahman became a politician. As a politician, he didn’t confine himself to Dhaka. The work of a politician is to serve the people, and he reached out to them. He introduced a 19-point program aimed not at dividing the nation but at uniting people. Rising above all distinctions of religion and ethnicity, he established the identity of being Bangladeshi. His success as a politician is evident in how, even after his passing, this party has remained rooted among the people.”
Tarique Rahman further said: “If we consider him as a statesman, his role was to lead the country and solve its problems. Ziaur Rahman contributed to the establishment of Bangladesh’s key foreign exchange sources, such as the garment industry and remittance inflows. As a statesman, his initiative to implement Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) showcased how he brought Bangladesh to the global stage.”