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Martyr President Ziaur Rahman Biruttam, the founder of BNP, took the initiative to establish national unity by ending the chaos and disunity caused by Awami misrule in the newly independent country. His timeless concept of Bangladeshi nationalism was able to integrate the minority ethnic groups living in the state called Bangladesh along with the majority Bengalis into the mainstream of national life. By introducing a holistic national identity, President Ziaur Rahman gained wide popularity among Bangladeshi minorities such as the Sawtal, Gando, Manipuri and Chakma and even the Urdu-speaking population (Bihari). He substituted the national term “Bangladeshi” in place of the cultural term “Bengali” in the Constitution. He was the first to realize that the establishment of national unity was an essential prerequisite for the development of a newly independent country like Bangladesh. Therefore, regardless of class, profession, religion, caste and opinion, he brought together an unprecedented combination of political workers, leaders and common people in the BNP.
