While Bangladesh was celebrating Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, newly elected President of the republic was paying homage to those brave sons of nation who donated their lives for the cause of independence of the country. Zillur Rahman, a veteran politician and one of the organizers of the liberation war and also a close aide to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sworn in as 19th President of the country on 12th February 2009. Both ruling and opposition congratulated the new president in a view to see an experienced politician as head of the state who is responsible to uphold the Constitution of the country.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the president of ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL), said she is very happy to see a life-long politician become the president. "A new journey of democracy has begun in the country with Zillur Rahman as president," she told to the press.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chief Whip Jainul Abdin Faruk was also quoted by the local press as saying that, "We congratulated Zillur Rahman earlier on his election as president and we congratulate him again today. He is an experienced politician. If he puts his experience to use, he will do a good job of upholding democracy."
On February 13, just next day to assuming presidency, Zillur Rahman placed wreaths at the National Mausoleum in Savar, Dhaka, paying high tributes to the martyrs of the country's War of Liberation in 1971. He stood in solemn silence for some time when bugles played the last post. Contingent of the three services presented the state salute.
Zillur Rahman, Son of late Meher Ali Mian, Zillur was born in a respectable Muslim family at Bhairab in Kishoreganj on March 09, 1929. He started his academic life in Mymensingh town, one of the oldest district headquarter set by British Administration in Bengal. He passed his Matriculation examination from Bhairab KB High School in 1945 and obtained Intermediate of Arts (IA) certificate from Dhaka Intermediate College. In 1954, he got his MA in History and LLB degree from Dhaka University.
He played an active role in the 1952 Language Movement as a student activist. In 1953, he was elected vice-president of Student Union of Fazlul Huq Hall of Dhaka University without contest. At the time of Jukto Front Election in 1954, he was made the vice-chairman of Election Steering Committee of the greater Mymensingh district. He was elected general secretary of Dhaka District Bar Association in the 60s.
Zillur Rahman became close to Bangabandhu in 1946 when he was a student of Dhaka Intermediate College. He took part in all mass-movements including the movement against military rule in 1962, the Six-point Movement in 1966 and Mass Upsurge in 1969.
In 1970, Zillur Rahman was elected member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. He was one of the veteran organizers of the country's Liberation War in 1971. He was linked with the operations of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra (the radio station of independent Bangladesh) and publication of the newspaper Joy Bangla, the spoke-paper of the then Mujibnagar government.
In 1972, Zillur Rahman became a member of Bangladesh Constituent Assembly. He was elected lawmaker in 1973, 1986 and 2001. In 1996, after his election as lawmaker, he was made minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. He was also deputy leader in parliament then. Sheikh Hasina had made him the acting president of AL after her arrest in 2007.
In Bangladesh, though the post of President is much more ornamental, presidency has a vital role in governance, who is responsible to make any act, bill, law, ordinance or proclamation valid. As the first citizen of the country, President also has the authority to advice government and the parliament as s/he thinks fit. He is the custodian of the constitution of the republic.
Political observers of the country stated that after a substantial period of time a political veteran came in to post of President. Personally Zillur Rahman is a man of struggle. He is an accepted personality not only in the party he belonged to, but also in the total political and intellectual domain of the country. These personal properties of Zillur Rahman must facilitate the political parties to ensure good governance, the observers further mentioned. People of Bangladesh are also optimistic that the politician like Zillur Rahman would be able to contribute in establishing rule of law in the country.
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