Dhaka, May 30 -- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said former President and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman brought an unprecedented change to Bangladesh within just three and a half years of his rule.

"On one hand, he reintroduced multiparty democracy and brought the country back from one-party rule and BAKSAL. On the other hand, he introduced a free-market economy. I believe this was the first phase of Bangladesh's transformation," Fakhrul said.

"In just three and a half years, he brought such an extraordinary change that Bangladesh, once labelled a 'bottomless basket', turned into a country moving towards prosperity," he added.

Fakhrul, also local government, rural development and co-operatives minister, made t...