CHATTOGRAM, May 29, 2026 (BSS)- It was around 11.30 pm on May 29, 1981. I was little bit surprised as why the President only called me in his room. I entered his room at 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 Pajama and tea-shirt. A water-filled jug and a glass were kept beside 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 question at me and followed by self-reply without waiting for any answer from me. 

“I establish 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 organizational issues at the lounge of Circuit House. Then he went back to his room. After five minutes, he came out again, 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 May 29, 1981 where few hours later a group of beleaguered army personnel attacked the Circuit House and killed a rare-breedman like Zia who had vision, undisputed quality of a statesman, a true patriot and a brilliant military leader.”

Mohammad Jahangir Alam, founding general secretary of 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 May 29, 1981 along with some cabinet members and top party leaders including the then Secretary General Dr. B Chowdhury. 

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

“I was surprised to know about his Ctg visit within short span of time as he made another visit on May 10 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, even not we, to receive him at the airport as he (Zia) already selected ten people to welcome him at Ctg Circuit House.

We returned Ctg. We found both of our names among the ten selected persons. Zia along with his entourage members arrived at 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 discussion and gossips with all of us. 

“At one stage , Zia stood beside balcony and show his keen interest to live in Ctg” Jahangir recalled quoting President as saying “Anis (Barrister Anis), find out a land here , I will live in this city as it is a so beautiful place I like most” . 

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

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 11.30 pm.

“Look Jahangir, I floated 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. In this regard, it is utmost important to develop solid, organized, competent and ideal workforce,” Zia told me adding that “I have asked Salimullah to organized youth rally at Ctg stadium and you must cooperate with him”. 

“We need to establish training center to develop a bona fide workforce. You look a suitable place here. I will tell Feroj Noon (late Principal Feroj Noon),” Jahangir said, as President Zia was 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 mid of the discussion. 

“Because, we have to prepare ourselves to face any possible threat to our independence and sovereignty” President Zia replied pointing some geographically strategical aspects. 

It was at 1.30 am on May 30, 1981. Zia came out from his room and told the then Ctg Deputy Commissioner Ziauddin Ahmad to arrange a car for us.  I and my president M Salimullah 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 to solving organizational disputes. 

“If it was true, Zia would have called two rival factions. Rather, his visit was to bring discipline in 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 to that advice. 

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

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

“At about 10 pm, we along with the then ADC (Dev) Mr. Rauf were staying on ground floor of the Circuit House. The official land phone was ringing continuously as calls from outside coming 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 coming to you? Jahangir said. 

“But, Col Mahfuj did not utter a word asking concern officer to transfer phone calls to upstairs,” Jahangir said.

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

Shah Aziz replied “Ziaur Rahman is an extra-ordinary 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 former PM during Zia’s regime.