President Ziaur Rahman: Legendary Leader of Bangladesh

President Ziaur Rahman holds a unique distinction to make the historic declaration ofthe Independence of Bangladesh. He then led the glorious liberation war to victory in1971 and then became the maker of modern Bangladesh in 1975-1981. He succeededwhere Sheikh Mujibur Rahman failed both as a political leader and as an administrator.In view of his crucial role at the time of the creation of Bangladesh and thereafter President Zia was perhaps the most phenomenally popular figure of his country. His shortlife of forty-five years was like an intense flare of incandescent light. Even after fortytwoyears since his assassination by some deviant army officers with Indian instigationand insinuation Zia remains irreplaceable; his void unfillable. His character nobilityand dignity could perhaps be matched only by his wife the great and glorious BegumKhaleda Zia who would later be a three-time Prime Minister.Both being the most famed and famous both are/were almost equally legendary notonly in their amazing and enormous popularity but also in their achievements andtheir sacrifice for the cause of the nation. Beside the devilish and dastardly actions oftorture and terror by Sheikh Hasina and her corrupt-to-the-core fascist regime Zias andBegum Zias accomplishments together with their sufferings stand out as bright as thesolar shine of the day. In contrast with Hasinas politics of destruction oppression andrepression Zias and Begum Zias patriotic deeds and ideals continue to remain in thelimelight as William Blakes tiger burning bright/In the forests of the night.President Zia saved Bangladesh at least twice. He rescued the nation by making theclarion call for the independence of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 when the politicalleadership failed to respond to the trust the people reposed on them. The declarationwas followed by Zias role as an effective organizer of war and a liberation war hero.The second time was in early November 1975 when the nation plunged into chaos andconfusion by the India-instigated conspiracy crushed by the army-people uprising. Agroup of patriotic soldiers rescued General Zia from custody and restored his authority.He rose to the occasion to save the nation during this crisis time.Zias stewardship and statesmanship grew through the years of his rule and professionalcareer. He was a successful sector commander deputy chief of the army chief of thearmy and finally the most successful president with a track record of unprecedentedcontributions. He was a large sweet soul and the sweetest wisest soul of all [our]days and lands as President Abraham Lincoln was to American poet Walt Whitman.Like Lincoln who was also assassinated at the age of 56 following a civil war Zia alsowas The great star early droopd. O powerful western fallen star!This book is a great collection of writings about a great President by a number of notableauthors and scholars who place President Zia highly in the annals of the countrysformation and political development. It is an effort to contribute to the nationalistnarrative with accuracy and objectivity. Highly readable and worth reading the volumeis a landmark publication in the political history of Bangladesh that all concerned willfind interesting and informative.