Political aide reminiscences Zia's last but tragic Ctg visit

It was around 11.30pm on 29 May 1981. I was a little bit surprised as to why the president only called me in his room. I entered his room on the 1st floor of Chattogram Circuit House, which was later turned into a museum after Zia's name. 

The president sat facing east, and I was west, sitting face-to-face. Zia wore white pajamas and a t-shirt. A water-filled jug and a glass were kept beside it on a tiny table. He wanted to know about my well-being and my family. 

"Look, Jahangir, do you know why I founded BNP?" President Zia hurled the question at me and followed it with a self-reply without waiting for any answer from me. 

"I established the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) not for power; my core aim is the leaders and workers of this party will work as a protector of the country's independence and sovereignty," Zia concluded. 

After having dinner, President Zia, along with some high-profile central and local party leaders, discussed organisational issues at the lounge of Circuit House. Then he went back to his room. After five minutes, he came out again and walked toward us but again returned to his room, only taking me with him. 

"This was a scattered episode of scenarios of the eventful tragic night of 29 May 1981, where a few hours later a group of beleaguered army personnel attacked the Circuit House and killed a rare breed of man like Zia, who had vision, the undisputed quality of a statesman, was a true patriot, and was a brilliant military leader."

Mohammad Jahangir Alam, founding general secretary of the Chattogram city unit of BNP, told BSS while recalling his last few memories with Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.

President Zia came to the port city on a daylong tour in the morning on 29 May 1981 along with some cabinet members and top party leaders, including the then Secretary General Dr B Chowdhury. 

"On 26 May, I got a phone call from Col. Mahfuj, the President's Military Secretary, and was requested to come to Dhaka with the party's Chattogram City unit President M Salimullah to meet with President Zia. On the following day, Mr Salimullah and I reached the capital and met with President Zia at his Bangabhaban office room at about 8pm. We came to know that the president had fixed 29 May to visit CTG.

"I was surprised to know about his CTG visit within a short span of time, as he made another visit on 10 May to see the CTG Dry Dock Ltd plant," Jahangir said.

After having dinner with the president at Bangabhaban, Zia asked us not to gather people at Ctg airport, not even us, to receive him at the airport, as he had already selected ten people to welcome him at the Ctg Circuit House.

We returned to Ctg. We found both of our names among the ten selected persons. Zia, along with his entourage members, arrived at the circuit house in the morning, and we received him there. 

President Zia proceeded to the upstairs of the Circuit House with others, including B Chowdhury, Dr Amena Rahman, Syed Mohibul Hssan, Barrister Nazmul Huda, and Dr AFM Yousuf. He passed sometimes at the lounge and had informal discussions and gossip with all of us. 

"At one stage, Zia stood beside the balcony and showed his keen interest in living in Ctg," Jahangir recalled, quoting the president as saying, "Anis (Barrister Anis), find out a land here; I will live in this city, as it is such a beautiful place I like most." 

President Zuma performed his prayer at Chandanpura Mosque, a beautiful heritage and architecturally unique design having four tall minarets. He exchanged views with selected personalities from different professions, like lawyers, university teachers, and businessmen, in the afternoon at the Circuit House conference room. He heard from them and explained his future plan to build a self-reliant economy, contain the population explosion, and alleviate poverty.

Jahangir said later the president had dinner and talked with local leaders one after another separately. After that I was called and met with him at his room at around 11.30pm.

"Look, Jahangir, I floated BNP not for power. My core aim is that the leaders and workers of this party will work as protectors of the country's independence and sovereignty. In this regard, it is of utmost importance to develop a solid, organised, competent, and ideal workforce," Zia told me, adding that "I have asked Salimullah to organise a youth rally at Ctg stadium, and you must cooperate with him."

"We need to establish a training center to develop a bona fide workforce. You look for a suitable place here. I will tell Feroj Noon (late Principal Feroj Noon)," Jahangir said, as President Zia had told him, recalling the last conversation he had with Zia at Circuit House room.

"Sir, why are you talking about the party workers' role as the protector of the country?" I wanted to know from him by taking prior permission in the middle of the discussion. 

"Because we have to prepare ourselves to face any possible threat to our independence and sovereignty," President Zia replied, pointing out some geographically strategic aspects. 

It was at 1.30am on 30 May, 1981. Zia came out from his room and told the then Ctg. Deputy Commissioner Ziauddin Ahmad to arrange a car for us. My president, M Salimullah, and I left the Circuit House with a car bearing the number plate Rangamati-1000. We conveyed "Salam" and "goodbye" to our beloved president.

"Who knows it will our final goodbye with President Zia", Jahangir murmured as he paled, looking into the distance, his voice choked with emotion.

The elderly politician brushed aside the propaganda that Zia's last visit to Ctg was aimed at solving organisational disputes. 

"If it was true, Zia would have called two rival factions. Rather, his visit was to bring discipline to the party and interact with renowned personalities of various tiers to motivate them to be involved with the philosophy of Bangladeshi nationalism."

The then DGFI chief, late Major General Mhabbat Jan Chowdhury, tried to bar Zia from visiting Ctg, but President Zia didn't heed that advice. 

"The killing of President Zia was a part of a local and international conspiracy," Jahangir strongly opined, saying, "That's why we demanded a civil investigation into the Zia killing incident by involving competent persons. Then the real motive and plot of the conspiracy would have been unearthed."

In this context, he hinted at a scenario of that night. 

"At about 10pm, we along with the then ADC (Dev) Mr Rauf were staying on the ground floor of the Circuit House. The official land phone was ringing continuously as calls from outside came one after another. Most of the phone callers were wanting to talk with Col Mahfuj, President Zia's military secretary. 

"Being irritated and feeling something fishy after hearing repeated ringing of the fixed phone set, at one stage, I asked Col. Mahfuj as to why so many phone calls are coming to you. Jahangir said. 

"But Col Mahfuj did not utter a word asking the concerned officer to transfer phone calls upstairs," Jahangir said.

Jahangir said, once, he wanted the then Prime Minister Shah Aziz to know why he would join Zia's party, BNP. 

Shah Aziz replied, "Ziaur Rahman is an extraordinary brilliant person and a true patriot and uncompromising on the question of the country's independence and sovereignty."

"Zia had real faith in democratic values," Jahangir Alam, 77-year-old politician and a lifelong admirer of President Zia and true believer of Zia's philosophy, told BSS, quoting a former PM during Zia's regime.