Ziaur Rahman (Bengali: জিয়াউর রহমান) (January 19, 1936 - May 30, 1981), Bir Uttam, was the seventh President of Bangladesh. A highly decorated and accomplished military officer, he retired from the Bangladesh Army as a Lieutenant General. He was the first sector and brigade commander of the Bangladeshi Forces during Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971. After the war was over, Zia became involved in politics and later became the President of the country. As a Military ruler, he first found a party called JAGODAL but he himself did not become a member of it. Then he found the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the two largest political parties in the country. He ruled Bangladesh as President for 4 years and 39 days (April 21, 1977 - May 30, 1981) until his assassination.
