Timeline of few major events in Ziaur Rahman's life

• 1940s - Early education in Hare School, Calcutta (India) and Academy School, Karachi (Pakistan)
• 1953 - Joins Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul, as an officer cadet
• 18 September 1955 - Graduate from PMA in top 10% of class and commissioned as Second Lieutenant in Pakistan Army
• 1957 - Transferred to East Bengal Regiment (EBR)
• August 1960 - 24-year-old Zia marries 15-year-old Khaleda Majumder 'Putul'
• 1965 - Participate in Indo-Pak War as commander of a company unit of 300-500 soldiers. Awarded Hial-e-Jurat (Crescent of Courage), Pakistan's second highest military award, for bravery
• 1966 - Appointed military instructor at PMA and help raise two Bengali battalions: 8th and 9th Bengals
• 20 November 1967 - First child, son Tarique Rahman, born
• 1969 - Join 2nd EBR as second-in-command in Joydevpur, Gazipur (near Dhaka)
• October 1970 - Promoted to Major and transferred to 8th EBR in Chittagong
• 27 March 1971 - 35-year-old Zia publicly declares independence of newly-formed Bangladesh from Pakistan via Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Kalurghat radio station, Chittagong
• April 1971 - Designated Sector No. 1 (Chotrogram-Noakhali) and Z-Force Commander and lead Bangladesh to victory in nine month Sangram (War) with (West) Pakistan
• 1972 - 73 - Various military promotions including Colonel (February 1972), Deputy Chief of Army Staff (June 1972), Brigadier (1973) and Major General (10 October 1973)
• 3 November 1975 - House arrested by Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf and Colonel Shafat Jamil following revolt against the killing of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and family in August 1975
• 7 November 1975 - Freed by Colonel Abu Taher who staged a third coup, 'Sipoy-Janata Biplob'
• 1975 - Appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Deputy to Justice Sayem, the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA)
• 21 July 1976 - Colonel Taher executed by military court after being arrested under Zia's command
• 19 November 1976 - Become CMLA as Justice Sayem becomes President
• 21 April 1977 - Becomes 7th President of Bangladesh
• 30 April 1977 - Initated a '19-Point Programme' and Gram Sarkar (Village Councils) in 1980 for greater economic growth throughout country
• 2 October 1977 - Rebel soldiers fail to assassinate President Zia in his presidential house in Dhaka
• 1977 - Secularism removed from Constitution of Bangladesh and replaced with "trust and faith in Almighty Allah" under Zia's leadership. "Bismillah-ir-Rahmanir Rahim" (In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Beneficient) added above Preamble of Constitution
• February 1978 - Floated 'Jatiyatabdi Ganatantric Dal' (JAGODAL) with vice president Justice Sattar as head. JAGODAL merged with 6 other parties to form 'Jatiyatabadi Front' (Nationalist Front)
• 3 June 1978 - Wins presidential election, securing over 76% ov votes
• 1 September 1978 - 'Bangladesh Nationalist Party' (BNP, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Dal) formed and Zia elected as Chairman
• 1979 - 80 - Conceptualised and proposed an organisation of South Asian nation which later became SAARC
• 30 May 1981 - Assassinated in abortive army coup in Chittagong Circuit House. 45-year-old Zia murdered along with 6 bodyguards and 2 aides. Buried in Rangunia upozila, 22 miles from Circuit House. Prime suspect, Major General Abul Manzoor, murdered three days later.Till date, nobody officially held responsible for killing
• 1 April 1981 - Body dugged-up, returned to Dhaka and buried in Chandrima Uddyan next to Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban (National Parliament). Over a million people attended funeral