PM Transcripts

FOR MEDIA SATURDAY, 30 MAY, 1981
DEATH OF PRESIDENT ZIA
I was shocked to hear today of the untimely death of the
President of Bangladesh, His Excellency Zia Ur-Rahman.
President Zia took office at a time of particular difficult~ y
for Bangladesh, shortly after the death of the first
President and father of the newly independent nation,
Muj ibur Rahman.
He worked hard to overcome the many difficulties facing the!
new nation, including the crushing problems of food shortag~ es,
starvation and poverty. As a result, he was able to announce
this year that food production in Bangladesh doubled during;
the previous 12 months.
In a country facing the population and food problems that
Bangladesh faced this was a remarkable achievement indeed.
President Zia was a strong supporter of the Commonwealth anid I
had many contacts with him through the Commonwealth link.
It was especially gratifying that President Zia attendedthe
first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting; in
Sydney in 1978.
All Australians will join with me in expressing their sorrow
at this tragic event and their support for the Government and
the people of the Bangladesh nation in meeting the difficul~ ties
that lie ahead-of them.
Australians will be particularly concerned that the President
was apparently killed by an assassin. This is the third occasion
in a matter of months that a world leader has been the subject
of political violence. Words cannot express the abhorrence!
that Australians feel about events of this nature; they
deserve the strongest condemnation by all people.
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