Dhaka: BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid homage to the party’s slain founder, Ziaur Rahman, and its former chairperson, Khaleda Zia, by placing a wreath at their graves. This tribute marked the 48th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
According to United News of Bangladesh, Tarique, the eldest son of Zia and Khaleda, was accompanied by senior party leaders as he placed the wreath at his parents’ graves in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at approximately 9:20 a.m. During the visit, they offered Fateha and participated in a munajat, seeking eternal peace for the late party founder and former chairperson.
BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, along with Standing Committee members and other prominent leaders such as Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, and several others, were present during the tribute. After Tarique’s departure, a large gathering of BNP leaders, activists, and supporters assembled at the site, chanting slogans to commemorate the party’s anniversary.
Leaders and activists from various BNP-affiliated organizations, including Dhaka city units, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and others, also paid their respects at Ziaur Rahman’s grave. The day’s events began with the hoisting of national and party flags at BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan and the chairman’s Gulshan office.
The BNP has planned a five-day central program to celebrate its founding anniversary, which includes a central discussion scheduled for September 5, as well as tree planting and fish release initiatives across the country. In addition, the party and its affiliated organizations have released posters and special newspaper supplements to mark the occasion.
Tarique Rahman and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi extended their congratulations to party leaders, activists, supporters, and well-wishers through separate messages. The BNP, founded by Ziaur Rahman on September 1, 1978, initially aimed to build a self-reliant Bangladesh through a 19-point program. Under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, the party has returned to state power after nearly two decades, with him serving as prime minister for the first time. This anniversary is particularly significant as it is the first without Khaleda Zia, who passed away on December 30, 2025.