PM Tareq Rahman's claim that Bhashani handed the paddy sheaf to Ziaur Rahman in 1979 is false
Prime Minister Tareq Rahman claimed that in 1979 Maulana Bhashani handed the paddy sheaf symbol to Ziaur Rahman. But Bhashani died on 17 November 1976 in Dhaka — meaning this event could not have happened in 1979.
False
Claim Verified
In 1979, Maulana Bhashani personally handed the paddy sheaf (dhaner shish) symbol to Ziaur Rahman, saying 'I am handing you the paddy sheaf.'
What was claimed?
Prime Minister Tareq Rahman, on the afternoon of Tuesday 14 April 2026, addressed a public rally at Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University in Santosh, Tangail, to mark the Bengali New Year 1433. He claimed that in 1979, Maulana Bhashani personally handed the paddy sheaf symbol to then-president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, saying "I am handing you the paddy sheaf" (Bangla Tribune, 15 April 2026).
In his speech, PM Tareq Rahman said: "That is why when the time for the 1979 election came, Maulana Bhashani told martyred President Ziaur Rahman, 'I am handing you the paddy sheaf.'" (DBC News video)
Verdict: False — why?
The Prime Minister's claim cannot be true. Here is why.
1. Maulana Bhashani died in 1976 — nearly three years before 1979
The event the PM describes is dated 1979. But on 17 November 1976 — more than two years before the 1979 election — Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani died at PG Hospital in Dhaka. The Daily Star, in its 17 November 2025 report marking the "49th death anniversary," states plainly: "He passed away on this day in 1976, and was buried at Santosh in Tangail." [1]
Dhaka Tribune, in its "49th death anniversary" report, confirms: "Bhashani died in 1976 at PG Hospital in Dhaka." [2]
New Age Bangladesh states: "Bhashani died on November 17, 1976 in Dhaka" [3]. Prothom Alo (English) published a "45th death anniversary" article on 17 November 2021 — which mathematically (2021 − 45 = 1976) confirms the 1976 death year [4].
2. International archives confirm the same date
The New York Times archive from 18 November 1976, sourced from Reuters, reports: "DACCA, Bangladesh, Nov. 17 (Reuters) — Abdul Hamid Bhashani, a Bengali politician and Moslem leader, died…" [5] The world's leading news organisations published Bhashani's death notice in November 1976.
3. A deceased person cannot hand anything to anyone in 1979
The PM's claim centres on a specific moment — Bhashani handing Zia the paddy sheaf and uttering specific words in 1979. A person who died two years earlier cannot have done either of those things.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 12 December 1880 | Bhashani born, Sirajganj | New Age [3] |
| 17 November 1976 | Bhashani dies at PG Hospital, Dhaka | The Daily Star [1], Dhaka Tribune [2], NYT [5] |
| 1 September 1978 | BNP founded (~22 months after Bhashani's death) | BBC Bangla [6] |
| 18 February 1979 | First parliamentary election under Zia; BNP contests with paddy sheaf | BBC Bangla [6] |
By the time the 1979 election the PM refers to took place, Bhashani had been dead for more than 27 months.
Conclusion
It is partially true that the paddy sheaf was once Bhashani's party symbol (used by his National Awami Party / NAP). But the PM's specific claim — that Bhashani personally handed the symbol to Ziaur Rahman in 1979 and spoke a specific line — is chronologically impossible. A person who died in November 1976 cannot have handed over anything, or said anything, in 1979. The claim is false.
Sources (6)
49th death anniversary of Bhashani today
Maulana Bhashani's 49th death anniversary Monday
Bhashani recalled on 49th death anniv
45th death anniversary of Maulana Bhashani being marked
Abdul Bhashani, Bengali Leader And Moslem Guru, Is Dead at 97
Dhaner shish, Nouka, Langol, Darpipalla: how political party symbols emerged
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