Desk News

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on September 1 Tuesday paid tribute to his late father, BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, and his mother, former Prime Minister and former BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary.

Tarique Rahman arrived at the Ziaur Rahman mausoleum in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 9:17am, accompanied by senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He placed wreaths at the graves of his parents along with members of the party’s Standing Committee and other senior leaders.

Following the floral tribute, the Prime Minister and party leaders offered Fateha and took part in a special munajat seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, BNP Acting Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Selima Rahman, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and other senior BNP leaders were present during the programme.

The tribute at the mausoleum was part of a broader five-day programme organised by the BNP to commemorate its 48th founding anniversary.

After paying homage, Tarique Rahman, accompanied by party leaders, planted saplings on the mausoleum premises. He also released fish fry into the adjacent lake as part of the anniversary activities.

Following the Prime Minister’s departure and the withdrawal of the security cordon, a large number of BNP leaders, activists and supporters gathered at the mausoleum to pay their respects to the party’s founder and former chairperson.

The gathering quickly took on a festive character, with supporters bringing out processions and chanting party slogans. Among the slogans heard were, “Shubho Shubho Shubho Din, BNP’r Jonmodin” and “Ek Zia Lokantore, Lokkho Zia Ghore Ghore.”

The anniversary is being observed at a politically significant moment for the BNP, which has returned to state power after nearly two decades. Tarique Rahman is serving as Prime Minister for the first time while simultaneously leading the party founded by his father.

Ziaur Rahman founded the BNP on September 1, 1978, and served as its chairman. The party subsequently came under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, who became one of Bangladesh’s most prominent political figures and served multiple terms as prime minister.

Tarique Rahman assumed leadership of the BNP following the death of Khaleda Zia on December 30, 2025.

The party’s anniversary programme this year therefore carries particular significance for its leadership and grassroots supporters, combining remembrance of its founding figure and former chairperson with celebrations following its return to government.

In Dhaka and across the country, BNP district and metropolitan units are holding a range of programmes, including discussions, rallies and other organisational activities, to mark the anniversary.

For the BNP, the occasion represents not only a commemoration of its institutional history but also an opportunity to reaffirm the party’s political identity under Tarique Rahman’s leadership as it begins a new chapter in government.