BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has paid deep tribute to the memory of the late President Ziaur Rahman in a message marking the occasion.
"On one hand, he reintroduced multiparty democracy and brought the country back from one-party rule and BAKSAL. On the other hand, he introduced a free-market economy. I believe this was the first phase of Bangladesh’s transformation," Fakhrul said.
"In just three and a half years, he brought such an extraordinary change that Bangladesh, once labelled a ‘bottomless basket’, turned into a country moving towards prosperity."
The party Standing Committee Member Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain stated that Ziaur Rahman was a visionary statesman.
According to him, at a time of severe national crisis, Ziaur Rahman assumed responsibility and restored multiparty democracy and freedom of the press in Bangladesh.
He further noted that Ziaur Rahman had announced a 19-point programme aimed at making the country's economy self-reliant. He also said that Ziaur Rahman laid the foundation for the ready-made garment industry and the overseas manpower export sector, both of which are now among the main pillars of Bangladesh's economy.
