36th founding anniversary of BNP today

Bangladesh Nationalist Party celebrates its 36th founding anniversary today. On this very day in 1978, late president Ziaur Rahman floated the party.

To mark the day, BNP has scheduled elaborate programmes including discussion meetings, hoisting party flags at its offices across the country, and placing wreaths on the grave of the BNP founder.

This is the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1991 that BNP is observing its founding anniversary when it is neither in power nor in parliament.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia and acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have given separate messages on the occasion.

In her message, Khaleda said law and order situation in the country was at its worst. She called upon people to prepare for a movement against Sheikh Hasina's government.

Khaleda along with her party leaders and activists would place wreaths and offer fateha at the grave of late president Ziaur Rahman this morning, BNP sources said.

The party has organised a discussion meeting in the afternoon at the diploma engineers' institute.

The BNP associate organisations have also taken up various programmes to observe the day.

The BNP-led alliance and some other political parties in the country boycotted the January 5 election as it was held under the Sheikh Hasina government. They wanted it to be held under a non-party caretaker government.

The party now faces various challenges, including overhaul of its different associate bodies and gaining strength, to wage an anti-government movement to realise their demand for restoration of the caretaker government system, BNP insiders said.