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Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman: The Man Who Gave Us Our Identity

I want to write about Ziaur Rahman the way I think about him — not as a figure in a textbook, but as the man who shaped the country I love.

On 27th March 1971, Major Ziaur Rahman proclaimed the declaration of independence of Bangladesh from the Kalurghat Radio Station in Chittagong. Think about what that took. The Pakistan Army was everywhere. The country was in chaos. And this man stood in front of a microphone and told an entire nation: we are free. That voice — raw, urgent, certain — became the voice of Bangladesh itself.

More Than a Freedom Fighter

What makes Ziaur Rahman extraordinary isn't just 1971. It's what came after. He took a country that was on its knees and gave it direction. He introduced multiparty democracy when others wanted one-party rule. He founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on 1st September 1978 — built on Bangladeshi nationalism, sovereignty, democracy, and self-reliance.

His nineteen-point program prioritised food self-sufficiency, rural development, and population control. Not glamorous policies — necessary ones. He understood that nation-building isn't about speeches. It's about whether people have enough to eat.

Why He Still Matters

Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman was martyred on 30th May 1981. He was 45 years old. But what he built didn't die with him. BNP has since won five parliamentary elections — 1979, 1991, February 1996, 2001, and 2026. His wife became Prime Minister three times. His son leads the country today. The ideology of Bangladeshi nationalism that he planted has become a tree that shelters millions.

I carry his vision every day. The path he paved — patriotism, democracy, and love for the motherland — is the path I walk. And I'll walk it until my last breath.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

Begum Khaleda Zia: Three Times PM, Zero Times Defeated

Begum Khaleda Zia left us on 30th December 2025. She was the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the second female head of government in the Muslim world.

The Numbers Tell the Story

She served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh three times — after the 5th, 6th, and 8th parliamentary elections (1991, February 1996, and 2001). She holds the extraordinary record of never losing in any constituency she contested. She was elected in five separate parliamentary constituencies in the general elections of 1991, 1996, and 2001. In 2008, she won all three constituencies she contested. There is no other record like this in Bangladesh's electoral history.

Nine Years Against Ershad

When General Ershad seized power through a military coup, Begum Khaleda Zia formed the historic seven-party alliance in 1983 and launched what became a nine-year struggle to restore democracy. She was detained seven times. She refused to participate in Ershad's rigged elections — unlike others who chose to legitimise his illegitimate rule. Her position was simple: you don't negotiate with dictatorship. You defeat it. Under her leadership's mobilisation, Chhatra Dal won 270 of 321 student unions across the country. In 1990, Ershad resigned. The people had spoken.

What She Built

Her governments introduced compulsory free primary education, free education for girls up to 10th grade, and food-for-education programs. She increased the age limit for government service entry from 27 to 30. She restored the parliamentary system through the 12th amendment. Forbes magazine ranked her 29th among the world's most powerful women in 2005. The New Jersey State Senate honoured her as "Fighter for Democracy" in 2011. The Canadian Human Rights International Organization gave her the "Mother of Democracy" award.

The Persecution

She was arrested on charges that the United States State Department, in its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, described as lacking evidence — calling the prosecution politically motivated. She spent years in prison and under house arrest. Following the July Revolution of 2024, she was released and acquitted of all charges. But her health never fully recovered.

She was buried beside Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman at Zia Udyan. Three days of state mourning were declared. But the real mourning is carried by every BNP worker who knew what she sacrificed so we could have the right to vote, to speak, and to believe in democracy.

For us — for me — she will always be the Mother of Democracy. And the woman who taught me that you never, ever bow to authoritarianism.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

PM Tarique Rahman: 17 Years of Exile, Then a Landslide

On 17th February 2026, Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. BNP won 209 of 297 seats — the first free and fair election in over a decade. But the real story is what came before the numbers.

17 Years Away From Home

Tarique Rahman spent 17 years in self-imposed exile in London. He faced politically motivated cases and a relentless campaign of character assassination that would have broken most people. It didn't break him. When the July uprising of 2024 led to the fall of the authoritarian regime, the courts progressively acquitted him of all charges — recognising them as politically motivated. He returned to Bangladesh in late 2025. Two months later, his party won a landslide.

What He Said on Day One

In his first speech as Prime Minister, he said something that stayed with me. He said that his government belongs equally to those who voted for BNP, those who voted for others, and those who didn't vote at all. That's not just a good line. That's a principle. And it's the principle his father built BNP on.

The Family Card Initiative

Among the first initiatives of his government was the Family Card — providing financial support to low-income and marginalized families. The card is issued to the eldest female member of each qualifying household. It's not a grand gesture. It's practical governance that reaches the people who need it most. That's the leadership Bangladesh has waited for.

The July National Charter

The July National Charter — with its term limits, two-chamber parliament, and constitutional safeguards — was passed by referendum alongside the 2026 election. BNP now has both the mandate and the legal framework to rebuild Bangladesh's democratic institutions.

As a BNP worker, I'm not just proud. I'm ready to contribute. The work is just beginning.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

BNP at 48: Five Elections Won, One Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party was founded on 1st September 1978. In 48 years, BNP has won five Jatiya Sangsad elections — 1979, 1991, February 1996, 2001, and 2026. It has survived military dictatorships, politically motivated persecution, the imprisonment of its leaders, and 15 years of authoritarian rule. Today, BNP is the ruling party of Bangladesh.

If that's not resilience, I don't know what is.

The Idea Behind the Party

Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman didn't create BNP to serve one family or one faction. He created it to serve an idea — Bangladeshi nationalism. The belief that Bangladesh has a distinct identity, built on the sovereignty of our territory, the richness of our culture, and the dignity of our people. That's what holds this party together. Not patronage. Not power. An idea.

The Movement Against Ershad

From 1983 to 1990, BNP led the democratic resistance against General Ershad's military rule. Begum Khaleda Zia was detained seven times. Chhatra Dal activists fought in every university and every street corner. Leaders were arrested, offices were raided, but the movement never stopped. When Ershad finally resigned on 4th December 1990, it was a victory for every Bangladeshi who believed in democracy.

The 15-Year Struggle

From 2009 to 2024, BNP faced perhaps its greatest challenge. Mass arrests of leaders. Imprisonment of the party chairperson. The exile of Tarique Rahman. Rigged elections. A systematic attempt to destroy the party. It didn't work. Because you can imprison leaders — but you can't imprison an ideology. The July uprising of 2024 and the 2026 landslide proved that.

Why This Is Personal

My father gave his life to this party. I followed him into Chhatra Dal, then Secchasebak Dal. I've seen what BNP means to ordinary people in Araihazar. BNP isn't just my party. It's the reason I believe in Bangladesh.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

The July Uprising of 2024: When Bangladesh Said Enough

For 15 years, Bangladesh lived under an increasingly authoritarian regime. Elections were rigged. Opposition leaders were imprisoned, disappeared, or forced into exile. The press was muzzled. Dissent was punished. And the world mostly looked the other way.

Then, in July 2024, the students of Bangladesh did what the international community wouldn't — they said enough.

What Happened

It started as a student protest against quotas in government jobs. But the response of the regime — live ammunition against unarmed students — revealed the true nature of the government to anyone who still had doubts. Over 1,400 people lost their lives. And still, the movement didn't stop.

The Fall

By August 2024, the government collapsed. An interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over to manage the transition. The courts began reviewing the politically motivated cases that had been used to silence opposition voices for over a decade. Tarique Rahman was acquitted. Begum Khaleda Zia was released.

What It Means

The July uprising proved something I've always believed: you can suppress people, but you can't suppress their desire for freedom forever. Bangladesh chose democracy — not because it was easy, but because the alternative was unbearable. The 2026 election that followed, where BNP won 209 seats in a free and fair vote, was the people's answer to 15 years of authoritarianism.

As someone who watched his own country suffer under that regime, the July uprising wasn't just a political event to me. It was personal. And I'll always remember every student who gave their life for a free Bangladesh.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

Bangladeshi Nationalism: The Identity Shaheed Zia Gave Us

Bangladeshi nationalism is more than a political ideology. It's an identity. And it was Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman who gave it to us.

What It Means

At its core, Bangladeshi nationalism says: we are a sovereign nation with a distinct identity. Our culture draws from both our Bengali heritage and our Islamic traditions. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. Our territory is sacred. And every citizen — regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background — belongs to this land equally.

This might sound obvious today. But in the context of Bangladesh's political history, it was revolutionary. After independence in 1971, there was a push to define Bangladesh's identity through one narrow lens. Ziaur Rahman offered a broader, more inclusive vision — one that embraced the full diversity of who we are as a people.

Why It Still Matters

In a world where countries are struggling with questions of identity, Bangladeshi nationalism offers a framework that is both rooted and forward-looking. It doesn't ask us to choose between tradition and modernity. It says we can be both — proud of our past and ambitious about our future.

BNP was built on this idea. Five parliamentary victories have been won on this idea. And as a young party worker, I believe this idea is more relevant today than ever. Bangladesh needs unity, not division. And Bangladeshi nationalism, as Ziaur Rahman envisioned it, is the foundation on which that unity can be built.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

1st September 1978: The Day BNP Was Born

On 1st September 1978, President Ziaur Rahman founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It wasn't just the birth of a political party — it was the birth of an idea that would shape Bangladesh for the next five decades.

Why BNP Was Needed

Bangladesh in the late 1970s was emerging from one of the most turbulent periods in its young history. The coups and counter-coups of 1975 had left a political vacuum. One-party rule had failed. The country needed a democratic platform that could unite people across ideological lines — and that's exactly what Ziaur Rahman built.

BNP brought together freedom fighters, students, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens under the banner of Bangladeshi nationalism. It wasn't a party of the elite or the military — it was a party of the people. And that's what it has remained.

What 1st September Means to Me

Every year on 1st September, BNP workers across the world observe the founding anniversary. For my family, it's almost a second independence day. My father has celebrated this day for as long as I can remember. I've continued the tradition even from Germany.

48 years later, BNP has won five parliamentary elections, survived military dictatorships, and endured 15 years of political persecution. The party that Ziaur Rahman founded on 1st September 1978 isn't just alive — it's leading the country. That's the power of an idea whose time has come and never left.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi

Why Bangladesh Should Be the Next Great Tourist Destination

I've visited 13 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. I've studied international tourism development at the master's level. And I'm going to say something that might surprise people: Bangladesh has more raw tourism potential than most countries I've seen.

What We Have

Cox's Bazar is the longest unbroken natural sea beach in the world — 120 kilometres of continuous coastline. The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest on earth, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Bandarban and the Chittagong Hill Tracts offer mountain landscapes that rival anything in Southeast Asia. Saint Martin's Island is Bangladesh's only coral island. The tea gardens of Sylhet are breathtaking. Paharpur and Mahasthangarh are archaeological treasures. The rivers, the culture, the food, the warmth of Bangladeshi hospitality — no country can replicate this combination.

What We Need

Infrastructure. Security for foreign visitors. Clean cities and beaches. Professional marketing. Government vision. These are solvable problems. Croatia rebuilt its tourism industry after a war. Dubai was a desert 40 years ago. If they can do it, Bangladesh — with far more natural advantages — has no excuse.

Why This Is Personal

I studied tourism development specifically because I believe this is one of the most practical ways to transform Bangladesh's economy. Tourism creates jobs at every level — from five-star hotels to local boat operators. It brings foreign currency. It puts Bangladesh on the global map.

I want foreigners to feel safe visiting Bangladesh. I want them to experience our culture, our nature, our history. I want them to leave saying: I had no idea Bangladesh was this beautiful. Because it is. We just haven't told the world yet.

— Tanveer Ahmed Rizvi