BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday paid homage to party founder Ziaur Rahman and its former chairperson Khaleda Zia by placing a wreath at their graves marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary.
Tarique, also the eldest son of Zia and Khaleda, flanked by party senior leaders, placed the wreath at his parents’ graves at She r-e-Bangla Nagar around 9:20am and offered fateha there.
He also joined a munajat seeking eternal peace for their departed souls.
BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Ismail Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Aman Ullah Aman, Farhad Halim Donar and Ismail Zabihullah, Joint Secretaries General Habib-un -Nabi Khan Sohel and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee were, among others, present.
BNP and its associate bodies are observing the founding anniversary with various programmes across the country.
The party flag was hoisted atop BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and other party offices across the country in the morning.
Ziaur Rahman founded BNP on September 1, 1978, with a 19-point programme aimed at building a self-reliant Bangladesh. He led the party as its chairman, followed by Khaleda Zia and subsequently Tarique Rahman.
The party is celebrating its founding anniversary for the first time since returning to power under the leadership of Tarique Rahman and also for the first time without Khaleda Zia, who died on December 30, 2025.
BNP has announced a five-day central programme to mark the anniversary. As part of the celebrations, BNP is scheduled to organise a central discussion, while its district, metropolitan and upazila units are arranging separate programmes.
BNP and its associate bodies are also scheduled to organise tree plantation and fish-release programmes.
The party and its associate organisations have published posters marking the anniversary, while various newspapers published special supplements.
Tarique Rahman and Rizvi, in separate messages, greeted the people of Bangladesh, party leaders, activists, supporters and well-wishers on the occasion.
Ziaur Rahman founded BNP after forming the Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal (Jagdal) and the Jatiyatabadi Front. BNP was formally launched at Ramna Restaurant in Dhaka on September 1, 1978.
FP/A
