Dhaka, Dec 30 (V7N)- When the voice that ignited the Bangladesh Liberation War echoed across the airwaves, Ziaur Rahman was not standing beside his family. He had revolted against the Pakistani Army and was preparing for war with nearly 300 soldiers. When asked why he did not take his wife and two sons with him, Major Zia’s response was resolute:
“If 300 soldiers can go to war without their families on my orders, then why would I take my family?”

History records many political leaders who rose to prominence before and after the Liberation War. Yet, very few dared to place their families directly in harm’s way during the war itself. In this regard, the Zia family stands apart—not only because Ziaur Rahman led from the front, but because Begum Khaleda Zia fought a parallel war of courage, sacrifice, and strategy.

A War Begun with Separation and Sacrifice

Khaleda Zia’s liberation war began the moment Ziaur Rahman marched toward battle. Left alone with two young children, she was forced to flee repeatedly to evade capture. Had she been arrested early, the Pakistani Army could have used her to pressure Ziaur Rahman into surrender—perhaps even preventing the declaration of independence. Khaleda Zia denied them that opportunity.

Her resolve became evident early in the war. When soldiers of the 17th Baloch Regiment attempted to seize weapons from the 8th East Bengal Regiment—weapons that could later be used against the freedom fighters—a habildar approached Ziaur Rahman’s home. Finding him absent, he spoke to Khaleda Zia.

Upon learning that Habildar Quader had sent the message, Khaleda Zia gave a decisive order:
“Nothing must be done without Ziaur Rahman’s instructions.”

Later, Habildar Nurul Haque would testify that had Begum Zia not intervened that day, nearly 1,100 patriotic soldiers could have been killed with those very weapons.

That single decision preserved the rebel force, enabled Ziaur Rahman to formally declare independence, and ensured the war reached the people of Bangladesh.

Life on the Run

From that point onward, Khaleda Zia lived as a fugitive. She first sought refuge in Chittagong, remaining in hiding for nearly two months with her two sons. As the city grew increasingly unsafe, she undertook a perilous journey to Narayanganj on May 16, 1971.

Disguised in a black burqa, avoiding main roads guarded by heavily armed Pakistani soldiers, she reached the Chittagong launch terminal through back routes. Throughout the journey, she remained vigilant—especially for her youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko, then only two years old. Any cry or disturbance could have exposed them.

From Narayanganj, her sister Khurshid Jahan Haque and brother-in-law Mozammel Haque escorted her to Dhaka in a vehicle marked with a Red Cross sticker, passing under the watchful eyes of Pakistani troops.

Yet safety remained elusive. Pakistani forces soon traced her whereabouts. Mozammel Haque was arrested and brutally tortured but never disclosed Khaleda Zia’s location. She continued hiding, moving from Dhanmondi to Siddheshari, until her arrest on July 2, 1971.

That morning, she stepped into the garden and found Pakistani soldiers surrounding the house.

Captivity Without Surrender

Khaleda Zia and her two children were first detained at the old Parliament building, then transferred to a house inside Dhaka Cantonment, where they remained until independence. Indian shelling frequently shook the area; bomb explosions terrified the children.

Yet Khaleda Zia remained composed.

The Pakistani Army attempted to break Ziaur Rahman by showing him that his family had been arrested. She did not falter. Ziaur Rahman responded with a defiant letter, threatening the occupying forces in return.

After independence on December 16, 1971, Khaleda Zia was moved to Shamshernagar and later reunited with Ziaur Rahman in Comilla—a family restored after surviving war on two separate fronts.

Guardian of the Liberation Spirit

Khaleda Zia’s commitment to the Liberation War did not end in 1971. As Prime Minister, she institutionalized respect for freedom fighters and preserved the nation’s historical memory.

As historian A. K. M. Wahiduzzaman noted:

  • In 1991, she became Bangladesh’s first elected female Prime Minister.

  • On December 15, 1992, she awarded state honors to titled freedom fighters.

  • In 1995, she personally traced and honored Taramon Bibi (Bir Pratik).

  • She initiated preservation of massacre sites, including the Rayer Bazar Intellectuals’ Memorial.

  • In 2001, she established the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.

  • Freedom fighters’ allowances were increased substantially in 2002.

  • State grants for families of deceased freedom fighters followed in 2003.

  • Memorials for Bir Shresthas were built nationwide.

  • In 2006, Pakistan returned the remains of Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman at her request, and he was buried with full state honors.

For Khaleda Zia, the Liberation War was not an electoral slogan. It was faith, sacrifice, and responsibility.

A Legacy Written in Courage

Khaleda Zia did not fight the Liberation War with a gun in her hand—but her courage, decisions, endurance, and silence shaped its course. While others spoke of sacrifice, she lived it.

History will remember that Bangladesh’s freedom was defended not only on the battlefield—but also in the quiet courage of a woman protecting a nation by protecting its future.

END/SMA/AJ