The rulling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will begin an eight-day nationwide programme today marking the 45th death anniversary of the party's founder and former president Ziaur Rahman, to be observed on May 30.
The party has announced a series of programmes, including discussion meetings, doa and milad mahfils, relief distribution, hoisting of black flags and keeping party flags at half-mast at district and metropolitan levels across the country.
According to the schedule, party flags will be kept at half-mast while black flags will be hoisted at BNP's central office in Naya Paltan at 6:00am on May 30.
At 11:00am on the same day, BNP central leaders, led by party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, will place wreaths and offer prayers at the grave of Ziaur Rahman.
The Nationalist Ulema Party will organise a doa mahfil on May 30, while food and clothing will be distributed among underprivileged people at police station levels in Dhaka North and South city areas.
The party said posters would be published, black badges worn and special supplements brought out in newspapers and online media from May 25 as part of the observance. BNP's associate and affiliated organisations will also arrange various discussion programmes.
On May 31, BNP will hold a discussion meeting at the auditorium of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital.
On the same day, different associate bodies and professional groups linked to the party will organise discussion meetings, doa and prayer programmes.
The Nationalist Ulema Party will also arrange doa and milad mahfils and distribute food and clothing among poor people across the country.
The programmes were announced by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi while briefing journalists after a joint meeting at the party's central office in Naya Paltan on Saturday.
Rizvi said BNP's associate organisations, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Krishak Dal and Ulama Dal, would organise milad and prayer programmes at educational institutions.
Different wings and associate bodies of the party will also hold discussion meetings, poster campaigns and relief distribution programmes to commemorate what he described as "martyr President" Ziaur Rahman, he added.
Rizvi further said there would be no problem if some programmes were delayed by one or two days because of Eid-ul-Azha.
Ziaur Rahman was born on January 19, 1936, in Bagbari village under Gabtoli upazila in Bogura district.
On May 30, 1981, he was killed by a group of army officers at the Chittagong Circuit House.
