People of the archive
Ziaur Rahman
Former President of Bangladesh. He was Tarique Rahman’s father.
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Photo credits
© European Union, 2026 / European Communities (Jean-Louis Debaize). CC BY 4.0. Source crop resized for the web. · CC BY 4.0 Resized for the web.Background
Life & background
Ziaur Rahman was a former President of Bangladesh and the founder of the BNP. BSS records his birth on 19 January 1936 in Bagbari, Bogura, and his death on 30 May 1981.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) ↗Background
Military career & Liberation War
Ziaur Rahman entered military training in 1953 and was commissioned in 1955. During the 1971 Liberation War he served as a sector commander and later led Z Force. Banglapedia places his wartime service within the wider organization of the liberation forces.
Banglapedia ↗Background
Presidency & party formation
He became President in 1977 and founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in 1978. His presidency ended when he was killed in Chattogram on 30 May 1981. His state and party roles form part of the historical background to the later public lives of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.
Banglapedia ↗Family & background
Tarique Rahman’s family
A concise account of family relationships and public roles, with links to the reporting behind each record.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Source: Press Information Department, Bangladesh
Source: Press Information Department, Bangladesh
