Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Friday hailed the late president Ziaur Rahman as an indispensable figure in Bangladesh’s independence and the 1971 liberation war, criticising past attempts to downplay his contributions.
Speaking at a discussion organised at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Ramna, Dhaka, on the occasion of Independence Day, the prime minister said, “Attempts to belittle Ziaur Rahman’s work in the past only prove his pivotal role in our liberation struggle.”
The event was presided over by BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Reflecting on the importance of history, he added, “If we dwell too much on the past, one eye remains blind. If we forget it entirely, both eyes are blind. We must neither ignore our history nor remain trapped in it.”
He also warned that excessive focus on historical debates in recent times has sometimes hindered the nation’s progress, stressing that Bangladesh’s independence and the 1971 war remain the country’s proudest chapters.
“Discussion and research are natural, but nothing should diminish the pride and significance of our independence or liberation war,” he said.
