BNP’s 40th founding anniversary today

Senior Reporter: BNP is celebrating its 40th founding anniversary across the country today (Saturday) with various programs.

On September 1, 1978, late President Ziaur Rahman founded the party with a 19-point program to build a self-reliant Bangladesh.

BNP and its associate bodies have taken up elaborate programs, including holding discussions, public meetings, hoisting party flag, placing wreaths at the grave of party founder and taking out a colorful procession, to mark the day.

The party will hold a public rally in front of its Nayapaltan central office at 2pm. Party senior leaders said they have a plan for a 'massive showdown' in the rally to invigorate its rank and file ahead of the next general election.

The party is observing the founding anniversary this year amid a challenge to free its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia and force the government to hold the 11th parliamentary polls under a neutral government.

BNP has been trying to forge a greater political unity with political parties outside the BNP-led alliance to launch united or simultaneous movement for the release of Khaleda and free, fair, credible and participatory national polls under a neutral government.

The 11th national election is likely to be held in December.

Late president Ziaur Rahman, a sector commander in the Liberation War, launched BNP on September 1, 1978 with a slogan of politics of development and production.

He formulated 19-point programmes to make a self-reliant and prosperous Bangladesh and introduced Bangladeshi Nationalism.

His wife Khaleda Zia held the helm of BNP after his assassination on May 30, 1981.

She was elected BNP vice-chairperson in 1983 and chairperson in 1984, according to BNP website.

Khaleda became the first female prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir along with party leaders and activists placed wreaths and offer fateha at the graveside of Zia at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka at 10:00am.

The party would hold discussion at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday.

The secretary general in a message on the occasion of BNP’s founding anniversary said that Khaleda Zia was jailed in a ‘fabricated’ case while the party’s acting chairman was sentenced in a ‘conspiratorial false’ case.

Fakhrul said that there was no alternative to organise people at the present ‘bad time’ and all should lay importance on resisting ‘injustice’ and ‘oppression’ in this ‘critical period’ remaining united.

BNP is taking preparation to mobilise leaders, activists and supporters of the party and its front and associate organisations to today’s the rally.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a briefing at the party’s central office on Friday said that the party took all preparations to make the founding anniversary a success.

‘We are expecting a massive gathering in the public meeting,’ Rizvi said.



risingbd/Dhaka/Sept 1, 2018/Reza/Mukul