THIS ZIA IS NOT THAT ZIA
On 17 May, ‘81 when Shaikh Hasina, the non-political daughter of Bangabandhu Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, returned home as the President of the Awami League the workers and people accorded unparalleled reception at the airport. Three or four days after her return we had a meeting with Shaikh Hasina. At the outset, Shaikh Hasina told student leaders and freedom fighters that from today onwards we would have to start the publicity campaign that this “Zia is not that Zia.” In other words, the present freedom fighter President Ziaur Rahman is not the same one, who had declared independence. Sheikh Hasina said, refering to Goebbels, the Information Adviser to Hitler, “if you can successfully publicize that this Zia is not that Zia who had declared independence, then one day people will come to believe it.” Someone from amongst us asked, in that case who shall we call this Zia’? Shaikh Hasina replied, “there is no need to go into so much of talks; you will only say this Zia is not the same Zia.” At this, we all became surprised, whispered and laughed among ourselves. But we never propagated the lesson given by Shaikh Hasina, ‘this Zia is not that Zia.