Dhaka, June 4 -- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said former President Ziaur Rahman's greatest contribution was providing the people of Bangladesh with a distinct national identity through the concept of Bangladeshi nationalism.

He said the people of Bangladesh had become fully convinced in 1971 that it was no longer possible to remain part of Pakistan and that they had to wage a war for independence. "And that war was launched by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman."

Fakhrul, also local government, rural development and co-operatives minister, was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled "Ziaur Rahman's Independent Foreign Policy in the Current Context" and a newspaper exhibition organised at the Pres...