Military dictators in any democracy are loathed and considered as biggest abusers who put democratic process in death kneel but Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) kept on worshiping the country’s first military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman.
Not only did Gen Ziaur destroyed democracy by storming power without any public mandate, the dictator also staged the first farcical referendum in the country’s history snatching away voting rights while remained as the chief marshal law administrator.
Lifschultz: Zia was a psychopath in his capability to use violence, betray others
Putting democracy in back burner, Gen Ziaur staged a first ever farcical referendum on May 30,1978 and declared himself the winner, initiating the culture of snatching away voting rights, what senior journalists described marred by record rigging : even 120% votes shown cast.
On 29 November 1976, Gen Zia declared himself as the president of the country taking power from former jurist Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem at the barrel of gun, according to historians. He participated in the so-called presidential election of 1978 from that party and declared himself the winner.
Zia was the first president of Bangladesh, claims Tarique
On the human rights front, General Zia’s stint saw perpetuated spell of ruthless extra judicial killing of war heroes: over thousands were hanged without any trail just at the will of Zia, these war heroes who joined the armed forces did not get to find out any trial process. Historians say, these war heroes were killed only at the will of Gen Zia in the name of purging off the army.
Several investigative journalists—from home and abroad— who investigated the gruesome assassination of the country’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman alongside family members dug out hand of Gen Zia in the plot. Backed by global powers, a group of disgruntled army officers carried out the assassination.
Zia was one of Bangabandhu killing masterminds: Researchers
As the deputy chief of staff, Gen Zia instead of issuing orders for restoration of law and order and hunt down killers, rather embraced the assassins and ensured full impunity of those took part in the killing. “So what.. the vice president is there”, was the response from Gen Zia when some officers rushed to inform him of the assassination, one of the deadliest assaults on then-nascent democracy.
Unlike dictators from other parts of the world, Gen Zia floated a party—BNP from the barracks to make his iron clad rule look like a democratic one.
Ziaur Rahman: The Mastermind Behind The Assassination of Bangabandhu & His Family
Though later succeeded by his widow and now by his son, BNP, went into an overdrive by introducing Gen Zia as the founder of the democracy.
Ironically, from the days of Zia’s demise BNP embarked on a mission spreading a barrage of lies and stratagems to further weaken democracy to present its founder as beacon light of democracy. Absolving Tarique from his world of crimes and presenting a distorted history before the younger generation became the hallmark of BNP’s politics.
https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/zia-was-the-first-president-of-bangladesh-claims-tarique
From Zia’s widow Begum Zia to his son Tarique both never introduced Gen Zia as the dictator, rather the central leadership of BNP and spin doctors have been found weaving lies to distort the reality, no sign of course correction was witnessed. Altering history still remains a key to BNP’s politics.
Tarique believes in wrong history
Even BNP continued to spread lies to global democracies claiming Gen Ziaur as the founder of democracy in the country.
And with this glorification and denial, BNP continues to the denial the call for justice raised by families who are still fighting to get justice for their lost ones at the hands of Gen Zia.
Families of 1971 war heroes allege Bangladesh’s main Opposition party peddles lies
