[4] Ziauddin was born in the village of Harbang of Chakaria Upazila, Cox's Bazar District (now in Chittagong, Bangladesh) on 22 November 1939.

When the Bangladesh Liberation War started, Ziauddin deserted Pakistan Army with Major Abu Taher, Major Muhammed Abul Manzur, and Captain Bazlul Ghani Patwari from Abbottabad cantonment crossing the border to Devigarh in India on 25 July 1971 and reached Delhi on 27 July.

[8] At the sector commanders conference in October in Calcutta, both Ziauddin and Taher opposed focusing on the Bangladesh Army, encouraging instead more support for irregular militias.

A small team of only platoon and section commanders carried out hit and run operations in Kamalpur.

By December 15, Mukti Bahini and joint forces started knocking at Sylhet's front door.

[14] Meanwhile, when Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited Bangladesh, Ziauddin gave her a guard of honour.

[15] In 1972, Ziauddin commanded the 46 Brigade, based in Dhaka Cantonment, with which he suppressed a mutiny by soldiers of Bangladesh Air Force.

[15][17] He called the treaty a secret agreement and pointed they had fought the war without Sheikh Mujib, who was in jail in Pakistan, and would fight another if necessary.

[14] The Prime Minister meet Ziauddin after returning to the country and demanded an official apology which he refused.

[14] He joined the underground Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party led by Siraj Sikder, which was the most active left wing insurgency in Bangladesh at that time.

[18][14] His colleague Major Mohammad Abdul Jalil, who shared his left wing views, was also fired from the army.

[14] One of the mutineers, Major Khandaker Abdur Rashid, asked Taher and Ziauddin to join the new regime.