Zia was the first president of Bangladesh, claims Tarique

Tarique Rahman has come up with a startling claim that his father Ziaur Rahman was the first president of Bangladesh.

He made the assertion at a ceremony, organised by the BNP, at a hotel in London on Tuesday, on the eve of the Independence Day.

Pointing to the backdrop of the meeting at the beginning of discussion, he said, “Here it is written in red letters -Bangladesh’s first president and independence proclaimer Zia.”

“The first president of independent and sovereign Bangladesh was our leader Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.”

His assertion is at variance with a 2009 High Court ruling that said the Bangabandhu proclaimed the independence on March 26, 1971.

‘Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra’ founder Belal Mohammad said Zia, who was then a Major, had read out Bangladesh’s Independence communiqué but only on behalf of Sheikh Mujib, the leader of the Bengalis.

Tarique also tried to justify the branding of his father.

That he was Bangladesh’s first president “is true” and “this is the history”, the BNP’s senior Vice Chairman asserted.

He further claimed that Bengalis fought the liberation war at no one but Zia’s call.

Rahman, the presumed political heir to BNP chief Khaleda Zia, went on to accuse the then political leadership of “failing to make the declaration” without giving any reference.

“At the same time, they had also failed to feel the pulse of 70 million people.”

Zia himself had prepared and read out the declaration of independence, his son further claimed

“This communiqué was not sent to him by anybody.”

He said, “Today we can hear many people say that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced independence on Mar 7. This is not a matter of debate. This is a matter of history, evidence.”

Tarique urged the young generation in Britain to take this up with Bangladesh’s people and the Awami League activists.”

According to 'Bangladesher Swadhinata Juddha Dalilpatra', edited by Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Pakistani occupation forces attacked Bengalis at 12:20 am on Mar 26.

Bangabandhu had wirelessed the independence communiqué to Chittagong Awami League leader Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury.

After it was sent to the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra at Chittagong’s Kalurghat on Mar 26, Awami League leader MA Hannan announced it.

Abul Kashem Sandwip followed suit.

Major Zia was the third person to read the same message out at 7:20pm the next day, according to the documented history of the war.

Tarique said, “There is a lot of evidence that Sheikh Mujib had not declared independence. There is no documentary proof that he had (done so).”

“Awami League had agitated for their six-point demand. There is a lot of proof of that, but there is no proof that they had agitated for independence.”

“We all know that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house is on Dhanmandi (Road) 32. There were a lot of foreign journalists at the Hotel Intercontinental...”

“The Awami League leadership says Sheikh Mujib had sent out the independence communiqué through a note via wireless. Why had he sent the note to Chittagong, 200 miles away from Dhaka when he could send it to nearby Hotel Intercontinental?”

Brandishing the daily Ittefaq’s Mar 26, 1971 edition, Tarique said, “Here is a statement of Sheikh Mujib. He had issued it in the backdrop of an incident. The incident where four persons had died in a fight with law enforcers during a movement on Mar 24. Sheikh Mujib sent that message on Mar 25.”

“The Ittefaq ran the statement with a headline and a sub-heading. The important point that the headline captured was ‘Stop this genocide’; and the sub-heading read: ‘All-out strike across Bangladesh on Mar 27.”

“And yet, the Awami League says Sheikh Mujib had announced independence on Mar 7.”

“Sheikh Mujib’s announcing the independence on Mar 7 and then calling a strike for Mar 27 is ridiculous.”

“What do you think?” Tarique asked his audience. “Can you remember these points? We won’t let them present a distorted history to the nation.”

“There was no internet when the Awami League spread lies. Now the internet is here, it will not be possible for them to spread any confusion.”