Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam (1936-1981), the founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the declarer of independence, was a valiant freedom fighter and commander of Z force during liberation war and later became Chief of Army Staff. He charted the avenue for multi-party democracy in Bangladesh and was elected as the President of Bangladesh.
On 1 September 1978, Ziaur Rahman pioneered formation of a new political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He was the first chairman of BNP and successfully transitioned the country to democracy. He did not survive to see all his dreams coming true. He was assassinated in Chittagong on 30 May 1981 in an army coup.
Khaleda Zia is the Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. She was the architect of seven-party alliance in 1983 to put an end to Ershad’s dictatorship.
In 1991, Khaleda Zia became the country’s first woman prime minister through a free and fair general election on February 27 of the year.
Tarique Rahman is the Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. From childhood, Mr. Rahman witnessed Bangladesh’s struggle for liberation and democracy. He joined BNP as a general member in 1988. He travelled every district of Bangladesh to motivate the nation in the journey for democracy which culminated in landslide win of BNP in 1991 general election. He was elected Senior Vice-Chairman of the BNP in 2009 and later appointed as Acting Chairperson.