The BNP will observe the 45th death anniversary of its founder and former president Ziaur Rahman on Saturday.
The party and its associate bodies have chalked out an eight-day program to observe the death anniversary nationwide with due respect. The programs began on May 25 and will continue until June 1.
Ziaur Rahman, who founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978, was assassinated by a group of disgruntled army officers at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Friday morning, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said their party is all set to mark the occasion with due respect and reverence.
“Tomorrow (Saturday) marks the 45th martyrdom anniversary of statesman Ziaur Rahman. As part of our announced eight-day program, Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman will lead party leaders and activists in offering Fateha and placing wreaths at Ziaur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 11am,” he said.
Rizvi said party flags will be kept at half-mast and black flags will be hoisted at the BNP central office and other party offices across the country from 6am on the day.
He said different associate bodies and professional groups of the party have taken various programs, including discussions and photo exhibitions highlighting Ziaur Rahman’s life and works.
The BNP leader also said party units across the country will observe the day with different programs in memory of the party founder.
He said Tarique Rahman will distribute clothes and dry food items among poor people at several spots in Dhaka after visiting the grave.
“I think one spot has been fixed in each constituency under Dhaka North and South where clothes and dry food will be distributed,” said Rizvi, who is also the prime minister’s political adviser.
He said the prime minister is also expected to distribute food among destitute people in front of the Nayapaltan central office in the afternoon as part of programs to be organized by five associate bodies and one affiliated organization.
The BNP leader said milad and doa mahfils will also be arranged in observance of the day.
He said BNP leaders and activists have been wearing black badges as part of the eight-day program. Special supplements have also been published in national newspapers, marking the anniversary.
BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB that Tarique Rahman will attend all the food and clothing distribution programs at 16 spots on Saturday as the chief guest.
He said the prime minister will begin distributing food items and clothes among poor and destitute people from 11:30am at the T&T playground on Manik Mia Avenue.
Sayrul said Tarique Rahman will attend similar distribution programs at 16 locations across the capital in phases during the day.
Ministers, MPs, and leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies will remain present at the programs, he added.
Besides, Sayrul said, BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan will distribute relief items among poor people in front of FDC at Karwan Bazar at 11:20am.
Rizvi will pay tribute at the graves of former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at 10:30am, along with leaders of the Association of Engineers, Bangladesh (AEB).
Earlier at 10am, members of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation will pay homage at the grave.
Rizvi will later distribute relief items among destitute people in the High Court Mazar gate area at 11:20am under a program organized by lawyers.
BNP will arrange a discussion program at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium at 2:00pm on May 31 in observance of the death anniversary of its founder.