Majumder–Zia family

Zia family
জিয়া পরিবার
Zia family; জিয়া পরিবার
	Zia couple in 1979
Current region	Bangladesh ; United Kingdom ; Malaysia
Place of origin	Bengal; (Mandal Family); Afghanistan; (Majumdar Family);
Founder	Muminuddin Mandal (Zia family); Murad Khan (Majumder family);
Current head	Khaleda Zia
Members	Ziaur Rahman; Khaleda Zia Tarique Rahman; Arafat Rahman; ;
Distinctions	Political prominence within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party

The Majumder–Zia family (Bengali: মজুমদার–জিয়া পরিবার), or simply the Zia family (জিয়া পরিবার), is one of the two most prominent Bangladeshi political families, alongside the Sheikh family, it leads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Members of the family include – Ziaur Rahman served as army chief and later President of Bangladesh and Khaleda Zia as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, while several others have been members of the parliament.

Background of the families

Mandals of Mahishaban

Kakar Mandal was the great-grandson of Muminuddin Mandal (d. 1840), a powerful leader and Mandal from the village of Mahishaban in Gabtali, Bogra. Muminuddin Mandal's influence was spread out across Gabtali, Sukhanpukur and other areas west of the Jamuna River.^[1]

Kamaluddin Mandal (born 1854): He was the only son of Kakar Mandal. He was a moulvi and local educationist who served as the principal of Bagbari Minor School. He moved from Mahishaban to Bagbari after marrying Begum Meherunnisa. His wife's ancestors migrated from Iran to Balurghat, Ghoraghat during the Mughal period, and moved to Bogra during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb. It was from this marriage that Kamaluddin Mandal inherited land from that landowning family in the village of Bagbari and moved there.^[2]

Mahmud Mandal: Skin merchant
Zahiruddin Mandal: Landlord
Mazhabuddin Mandal
Moazzam Hossain Mandal: Engineer.
Mansur Rahman Mandal (died 1966): chemist who specialised in paper and ink chemistry and worked for a government department at Writers' Building in Kolkata. He married Jahanara Khatun
1. Rezaur Rahman Mandal, marine engineer
2. Mizanur Rahman Mandal, economist
3. Ziaur Rahman (see below)
4. Ahmad Kamal Mandal (d. 2017)^[3]
5. Khalilur Rahman Mandal (d. 2014): He was a pharmacist based in Maryland and had three daughters.^[4]
Major Muhammad Mamtazur Rahman Mandal: Medical officer for Pakistan Army
Mahfuzur Rahman Mandal: Income tax practitioner
Fatema Khatun: Married an SDO under the Maharaja of Cooch Behar
Rahima Khatun: Married detective Muhammad Shamsuddin

Khan Majumdars of Fulgazi

Murad Khan: Pashtun merchant who arrived to Chittagong in the 17th century, but later moved to Sripur in Fulgazi due to devastating floods in Chittagong^[5] He had four sons: Nahar Muhammad Khan, Tahir Muhammad Khan, Phul Muhammad Khan and Arif Muhammad Khan.

Phul Muhammad Khan (son of Murad Khan): He fought under Shamsher Ghazi against the Twipra Kingdom, and gained the title of Ghazi. The area came to be known as Phulgazi, or Fulgazi, after him.
Nahar Muhammad Khan (son of Murad Khan): responsible for building a large reservoir in his palace in 1701, To the west of this reservoir, the family built a three-domed mosque which is now known as the Sripur Jami Mosque and continues to be used today. The Maharaja of Tripura signed a peace treaty with Shamsher Gazi and his forces which included Nahar and Phulgazi. The treaty mentioned that Nahar received 80 droṇ of revenue-free land, 14 zamindari mouzas and the title of Majumdar. These 14 mouzas make up the modern-day Fulgazi Upazila^[5]
Azgar Ali Majumdar (eldest of the five sons of Nahar Muhammad Khan): had five sons named Aqamat Ali Majumdar, Hashmat Ali Majumdar, Bashrat Ali Majumdar, Salamat Ali Majumdar and Mafizul Islam Majumdar

- Aqamat Ali Majumdar (son of Azgar Ali Majumdar): had no sons
- Basharat Ali Majumdar (son of Azgar Ali Majumdar): was a father of two
- Hashmat Ali Majumdar (son of Azgar Ali Majumdar): son:
  - Mazharul Husayn Majumder (son of Hashmat Ali Majumdar): He was also known as Muzzammil Ali Majumdar and became a Sufi pir by the sobriquet of Pir Pagla Dervish (died November 1975)
- Mafizul Ali Majumdar (son of Azgar Ali Majumdar): He died before marriage
- Salamat Ali Majumdar (son of Azgar Ali Majumdar): He had five sons; most notably Iskandar Majumdar, Mokaddes Hossain Majumder and Zamshed Hossain Majumdar
  - Iskandar Majumder (son of Salamat Ali Majumdar): tea-businessman who married Begum Taiyaba and migrated to Dinajpur. He had three daughters and two sons.
    - Selima Islam: She married M. Rafiqul Islam, was the former vice-chancellor of Islamic University, Bangladesh, professor of economics at the University of Rajshahi and treasurer of Pundra University of Science and Technology
      - Shahrin Islam Tuhin, was a former member of Parliament (1996) and son of Selima Islam and M. Rafiqul Islam.
      - Saiful Islam Duke retired Lieutenant Commander of Bangladesh Navy and son of Selima Islam and M. Rafiqul Islam.
    - Khurshid Jahan (1939–2006), former Minister of Women and Children Affairs (2001–2006)^[6]
    - Khaleda Khanam Putul (see below)^[7]
    - Sayeed Iskander Majumdar (1953–2012), former parliamentarian (2001–2006) and founding chairman of Islamic TV^[8]
    - Shamim Iskander Majumdar, politician

2. Zamshed Hossain Majumdar (son of Salamat Ali Majumdar), was a prominent businessman, Social and political leader in Feni District, had six sons and four daughters

Zakir Hossain Majumdar Chaad, martyr in 1971 war
Zahid Hossain Majumdar Nonaai, businessman and politician
Zohirul Quium Majumdar Nantu, Government job holder and founding chairman of Islamic TV.^[8] had two sons and a daughter