Ziaur Rahman :::(Former President of Bangladesh)
Ziaur Rahman (Bengali: জিয়াউর রহমান Ji-yaur Rôhman; 19 January 1936 – 30 May 1981) was an army general who served as the 4th President of Bangladesh from 21 April 1977 until his assassination on 30 May 1981.
Zia was a leader of the Bangladesh Forces during the country's liberation war from Pakistan in 1971. He had broadcast the Bangladeshi declaration of independence. He also led the Z Force brigade. After the war, Zia became the deputy chief of the Bangladesh Army. He rose to power after the country's first military coup on 15 August 1975, in which Sheikh Mujib was killed. A series of counter-coups resulted in Zia gaining de facto power as head of the army under martial law. He took over the presidency in 1977.
As President, Zia founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He reinstated multi-party politics and free markets. Zia became a popular Third World leader for his efforts to stabilize Bangladesh and championing issues affecting decolonized nations. He improved Bangladesh's relations with the West, China and the Muslim world, and departed from Sheikh Mujib's close alignment with India and the Soviet Union. Domestically, Zia faced as many as twenty one coup attempts. He was criticized for passing the Indemnity Act and removing the ban on religion-based political parties.
Zia was awarded the high gallantry award of Bir Uttom in 1972 for his wartime services. He retired from the Bangladesh Army as a Lieutenant General. His party, the BNP, became one of the two dominant political parties of Bangladesh. His wife Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister, is the current Chairperson of the BNP.