BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday paid homage to slain party founder Ziaur Rahman and its former chairperson Khaleda Zia by placing a wreath at their graves marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary.

Tarique, also the eldest son of Zia and Khaleda, alongside the party’s senior leaders, placed the wreath at his parents’ graves at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar around 9:20am and offered fateha there.

They also offered prayers seeking eternal peace for the departed souls of the party’s founder and former chairperson.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Standing Committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Aman Ullah Aman, Farhad Halim Donar and Ismail Zabihullah, Vice Chairman Nurul Islam Moni, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee and Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Abdus Salam Azad, Treasurer Rashiduzzaman Millat, Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku and Dhaka North city unit president Aminul Haque, among others, present.

After Tarique left the grave premises and security restrictions were eased, a large number of BNP leaders, activists and supporters gathered there.

They chanted slogans such as “Shubho, Shubho, Shubho Din, BNP-r Jonmodin” and “Ek Zia Lokantore, Lokkho Zia Ghore Ghore”.

Leaders and activists of different BNP-affiliated organisations including that of Dhaka city units, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, Muktijoddha Dal, Krishak Dal, Mohila Dal, Tanti Dal, Matsyajibi Dal, Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), Agriculturalists Association of Bangladesh (AAB), Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) and Chhatra Dal, also paid homage at Ziaur Rahman’s grave.

The day’s programmes began early in the morning with the national and party flags being hoisted at BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan and the chairman’s Gulshan office.

The BNP is observing a five-day central programme to mark its founding anniversary. The programmes include a central discussion at the capital on September 5, besides tree plantation and fish-release programmes across the country.

The party and its associate organisations have published posters marking the anniversary, while various newspapers published special supplements.

Tarique Rahman and BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued separate messages congratulating party leaders, activists, supporters and well-wishers on the occasion.

Ziaur Rahman founded BNP on September 1, 1978, with a 19-point programme aimed at building a self-reliant Bangladesh. He led the party as its chairman, followed by Khaleda Zia and subsequently Tarique Rahman.

The BNP is celebrating its 48th founding anniversary at a significant juncture, having returned to state power after around two decades under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, with him serving as prime minister for the first time.

It is also the first founding anniversary the party is observing without Khaleda Zia, who died on December 30, 2025.