Home Minister: Ziaur Rahman safeguarded Bangladesh’s fragile independence on November 7

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said former President Ziaur Rahman protected Bangladesh’s fragile independence and sovereignty through the soldier-people uprising of November 7, 1975.

“Ziaur Rahman saved the country's vulnerable independence and sovereignty on November 7, 1975,” he said at a discussion organised by Officers’ Club Dhaka to mark National Revolution and Solidarity Day 2026 on Saturday evening.

Salahuddin said public aspirations remained unfulfilled after the Liberation War, while one-party rule contributed to corruption, economic disparities, political instability and growing public resentment.

He said the November 7 uprising thwarted geopolitical conspiracies, secured Ziaur Rahman's release from confinement and placed him in a position of national leadership. According to the minister, it was the people, rather than Ziaur Rahman himself, who chose him as their leader during a critical period.

Describing November 7 as a national achievement, Salahuddin said the day should not be claimed exclusively by any particular political party.

He similarly said the spirit of the July 2024 uprising belonged to the entire nation rather than any single political group, describing it as the culmination of sacrifices, enforced disappearances and killings between 2009 and 2024.

Calling for a politically neutral civil service, the home minister urged government officials to resist political pressure and inducements, reject unlawful instructions and discharge their responsibilities impartially in the service of the republic.

He alleged that sections of the administration had previously facilitated elections without voters, including polls held at night under political pressure, undermining state institutions and weakening the civil service.

Salahuddin warned against allowing the administration to be used again to establish one-party rule or extend political power.

Emphasising the need for democratic continuity, he said power must be transferred peacefully every five years to those who receive the people's mandate.

Officers’ Club Dhaka President and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani chaired the event. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Bijon Kanti Sarkar and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office ABM Abdus Sattar attended as special guests.