He has his detractors and he has his admirers, but any objective evaluation of his life and works is bound to be a universal recital of some of his obvious achievements: his dismantling of the monolithic Baksal structure, its replacement by a multiparty system, free publication of newspapers beyond the four state-owned ones and his initiation of the Saarc idea. His active role in rejuvenating the rural economy and in foreign policy affairs enhanced our image abroad.

In the present context what is of great relevance is to remember one of his most enduring qualities of head and heart which is his personal honesty, integrity and his outright dislike for favouritism and nepotism. The pristine and impeccable corruption-free image of President Ziaur Rahman is a far cry from what his wife and son have done in their turns. The blame for the utterly beleaguered state in which the BNP finds itself today must ironically now be shared by his wife, his progeny and no less by the veteran leaders of the party who failed to dissuade Begum Zia from a path of filial ruination.

Those who helped Zia to build the party and Begum Zia who wore his mantle are the ones who have brought the party to its present state of disgrace. All those who paid respect to Zia on his death anniversary have virtually destroyed everything he stood for. One wonders whether those who went to his grave to pay their homage to the great leader yesterday had a right to go near his mausoleum because of their misdeeds having basically undermined his image.

It is high time they went for intense introspection and be self-enthused to bring about a series of intra-party reforms focused on electing party councillors from the grassroots upwards and giving them effective voice in running the party.