The 41st martyrdom anniversary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party founder and shaheed president Ziaur Rahman will be observed today.
To mark the day, opposition BNP and its front and associate organisations have taken up elaborate programmes.
The party has chalked out an elaborate 10-day programme, from May 29 to June 7, to observe Zia’s martyrdom anniversary.
The 7th president of Bangladesh, from 1977 to 1981, Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by a group of army officers at the Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.
Zia made the declaration of independence of Bangladesh in March 1971.
He was a sector commander and led the Z Force during the liberation war in 1971.
He was decorated with the gallantry award Bir Uttam for valour in the war.
On November 7, 1975, he was freed by sepoys and people from the captivity in the hand of a section of the army and was brought to power.
Born on January 19, 1936 at village Bagbari in Bogura, Zia became the country’s president in April 1977.
He founded the BNP in 1978.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a message on Sunday on the occasion of the death anniversary, said that Zia’s ideology, philosophy and programmes were the safeguards to protect independence, multiparty democracy, development and progress of the country.
To mark the day, the party will hoist black flags and keep the party flag at half-mast atop the party offices, including its Naya Paltan central office, across the country at 6:00am today.
The party secretary general along with standing committee members will place wreaths at Zia’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka at 11:00am.
The BNP and its associate bodies will arrange discussions on Zia’s activities from June May 29 to June 7 as part of the death anniversary programme.
The party leaders of Dhaka south and north city units will distribute food and relief materials among destitute in different parts of the city on May 30.
The district, city and thana units of the party will also hold various events to observe the day.
