Bangladesh to rename establishments bearing Ziaur Rahman’s name

DHAKA - The Bangladesh government has decided to rename all the establishments named after former president Ziaur Rahman. The decision prompted opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to announce a stir to protest the move.

“According to the cabinet decision, no structures or institutions will bear name of illegal autocratic ruler Ziaur Rahman,” Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told the media.

“The governments between August 15, 1975 and April 9, 1979 including Ziaur Rahman assuming power were illegal,” the official was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

The government has also decided to reinstate original names of the structures, which were changed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat coalition government between 2001 and 2006.

BNP protested protest the government’s move to rename all establishments named after party’s founder Ziaur Rahman.

The party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party workers will hold rallies in Dhaka and district headquarters, Star Online said.

It was announced Monday that Bangladesh’s Zia International Airport (ZIA) would be named after a 13th century Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal, after deleting Zia’s name.

The move appeared to be directed against Rahman’s widow and Leader of Opposition, Begum Khaleda Zia. Ziaur Rahman was the army chief who later became the president (1977-81).

The cabinet also decided to change the name of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman University, Barisal to Barisal University.

Regarding renaming the airport, the cabinet said that since the people of the country respect Sufis and religious figures and wish to keep their memory alive many important establishments had been named after them.