Bangladesh Nationalist Party celebrated its 43rd founding anniversary across the country on Wednesday in a low-key manner due to the prevailing coronavirus situation.
On September 1, 1978, the late president Ziaur Rahman founded the party with a 19-point programme to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.
BNP and its associate bodies have taken up different programmes marking the day.
Leaders and activists hoisted the party flag atop its Nayapaltan central office and all other offices of BNP across the country at 6:00am.
Besides, BNP standing committee members placed wreaths and offered fateha at the grave of its founder Ziaur Rahman at 11:00am on the day.
After placing wreaths, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamir said that the ruling Awami League killed the democracy in the country through establishing one-party rule.
He said that BNP’s principal agenda was restoring the democracy through a mass movement.
Later, at about 11:30am the leaders and activists of BNP’s Dhaka south and north units also placed wreaths at Zia’s grave.
Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh arranged a health camp at the ground floor of the BNP’s central office at 12:00pm where medicines and treatment equipment were provided for the Covid patients.
The party will also arrange a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club on Thursday.
BNP’s associate bodies and all other units across the country will hold different programmes, including discussions and providing assistance to Covid-infected patients through the party’s Covid-19 help centres, marking the day.
In its 42 years’ journey, BNP has been in power for four times and in the opposition bench twice. BNP has been out of power for nearly 13 years since the 1/11 political changeover.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in separate messages, congratulated the people of the country, party leaders, workers and activists and well-wishers on the occasion.
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