BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia along with senior party colleagues laid wreaths at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman to mark his 80th birth anniversary.
Khaleda reached the gravesite in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 11:45am.
After placing floral wreaths at her husband’s grave, the BNP chairperson offered prayers for his departed soul.
BNP standing committee members and activists of the party’s associate and front organisations also placed wreaths at Zia’s grave.
After layinig wreaths at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman to mark his 80th birth anniversary, the party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “Bangladesh is itself at stake. We are moving forward to restore democracy to the country.
“The main challenge for BNP today is to restore democracy, restore people’s rights and restore voting rights.”
About the possible relocation of Zia’s grave from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, party Vice Chairman Abdullah Al Noman said: “This is part of a government conspiracy. They [the governemnt] are observing the public’s reaction – how will the public react to such an initiative?
“In the history of Bangladesh, there is no example of a mazar being relocated.”
Noman said the government should act to rescue the country from the “present crisis” and hold an all party conference to devise a future election policy.
Born on January 19, 1936, at Bagbari in Bogra, Zia became the country’s 7th president and formed the BNP. He was a sector commander during the Liberation War in 1971 and later became chief of the army.
Zia founded the BNP on September 1, 1978. He was assassinated in an army coup in Chittagong on May 30, 1981.